


A Safe Place

by charis2770



Category: Finder no Hyouteki | Finder Series
Genre: Aki and Haru being cute, BDSM, Fluff, M/M, Slash, So this is our new friend Sami, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-13
Updated: 2014-04-13
Packaged: 2018-01-19 07:25:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 25,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1460812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charis2770/pseuds/charis2770
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haru has a new friend at school. Her name is Sami, and he and Aki decide to invite her over to meet Asami when they realize they share some of the same interests. More than they'd imagined is going on with their new friend, but true to their personalities, when they find out, they decide to help. With interesting results.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Safe Place

Aki lets Haru know he’s on it and speed-dials Asami’s cell phone. Sometimes he wonders how the man manages to always take his and Haru’s calls, like he hasn’t anything better to do and never goes to meetings when Akihito knows damn well he does. As always, that dark velvety voice hits him like a punch in the gut, sending a frisson of desire through him.

 

“Good afternoon, pet,” says Asami. How you can hear a smirk is beyond him, but the man makes his audible somehow.

 

“I’m not your,” he starts, and then sighs. “Whatever. Are you busy tonight?”

 

“I don’t believe so. I’ll be home around 6. Will that suffice?”

 

“Yeah, that’s cool.”

 

“Are you going to tell me what I’m coming home for, or is it going to be a surprise?” asks Asami, sounding sardonically amused.

 

“It would totally serve you right if I didn’t tell you. I’d give good money to see how you handle it if we spring her on you.”

 

“Are you referring to the personage who gives Haru painted rocks and slays rampaging silverfish with a riding crop?”

 

“Yeah,” says Aki, and clears his throat uneasily. Asami almost never refuses anything he or Haru find important unless it would put one of them at risk, he just isn’t sure how he’s going to react to Sami. He’s sure she wouldn’t mean to be disrespectful, but isn’t sure Asami won’t perceive it that way. “So um, the thing is, I think she’s interested in the...stuff...we do? Only she’s like really tangled up about it, and I don’t think she really understands what she’s looking for. You’re an asshole, but you’re...good at that kind of stuff. Explaining stuff, making them seem clear. We….Haru and me...think you might help her, like, just cause of who you are.”

 

“I see,” says Asami. He sounds thoughtful and, dare Akihito venture, pleased. “Certainly. Invite her for dinner, to hang out with you and watch movies or whatever else you want to do. I assume this isn’t an intervention or anything, and you simply wish for her to see us interact as we normally do?”

 

“Yeah,” says Aki, who still always feels a little surprised and touched when Asami understands without his having to explain an awful lot.

 

“And if I feel you or Haru have stepped a bit too far over the line between cute and obnoxious brat?”

 

Aki blushes, glad Asami can’t see it.

“We….I….don’t do anything different than you’d usually do,” he mutters, trying to ignore the flutter in his belly that comes with thinking of Asami bending him over, pulling down his pants, and spanking him. In front of Sami. Who he doesn’t really even know. Of her seeing him that way, watching. He bites back a groan, but Asami, damn his ears, hears it.

 

“Oh my,” he laughs softly. “This could be an interesting night indeed.”

 

They hang up, and he texts Haru.

 

[Okay, it’s a go. Find out if she’s free tonight and invite her over. Dinner, movies, video games, whatever. Um. Asami’s not going to act any different than usual if we’re...bratty. So, you know, whatever you think]

 

Haru has just stepped off the train and is headed toward his apartment when Akihito’s text comes through. His eyebrows shoot up, and he quickly texts Akihito back. Somehow his scandalized tone comes through loud and clear.

 

[As if I’d act up then! But that’s great! I’ll get in touch with Sami!]

 

He quickly types up an invitation and sends it off, feeling a little nervous and excited.

 

[Hey, Sami! Aki and I were wondering if you’d like to come over tonight and have dinner. We can hang out after--watch a movie or something. ]

 

Haru ignores the blush that sweeps across his face and keeps typing.

 

[Aki told you about Asami-sama, right? Well, it’ll be at his place, and he’ll be there, so...if you’re free, we’d love it if you could come over, and you could meet Asami-sama, and yeah, it’ll be fun.]

 

Haru hits send and grins.

 

Sami sits on the floor of the public payphone booth outside the student bookstore in the University plaza, with the receiver to her ear. She had snuck in and fallen asleep at Haru’s drafting table, in his little cubicle in the architecture wing. It was the only place she could think to go.

 

At her feet is her knapsack, and a plastic Junto Mall bag - the belongings she managed to salvage when she fled Genji’s apartment and his temper. She’s tired, embarrassed and nervous, and finally free of Genji the fucking nutjob. She has dialed Haru’s cel, and hears it ring a couple of times. “Fuck,” she mutters, “please pick up, please pick up…”

 

She hears his soft, polite voice on the other end. “Oh,” she lets out a deep breath, “thank  fuck ! Look, I don’t have my phone. It had an...an accident. I’m  so sorry, but I’ve been in your cube all day, crashed. I - what?” She listens as Haru verbally extends the invitation to her to hang out. “Dinner at..at  Asami’s place?” She hears him confirm. She tries to scramble up, steps on the phone cord and smacks the receiver against her knee. “Ow,  ow , shit! Sorry Haru...what time tonight?” He tells her and Sami figures she has just enough time to get back to the apartment she shares with her mom, dump her stuff and get cleaned up.

 

“That’s...that’s SO nice! Okay, I’d  love  to come by, as long as you’re sure it’s okay. With Asami-sama. I-I don’t want you to get in any trouble.” Sami hangs up, her belly flip-flopping madly. A quirky little smile touches her lips. Haru wants her to meet his... oh, man.

 

 

Akihito tosses vegetables in hot oil and adds soy sauce, stirring with one ear cocked for the sound of the doorbell. Asami has texted to say he’s going to be running about 20 minutes late due to an unforeseen late delivery he had to handle himself due to everybody else having already been sent home. Haru is setting the table in the kitchen. They’d discussed eating in the formal dining room, but decided that if the POINT is for Sami to see what things are really like with them, they don’t need to go to any extra fuss.

 

“Did she say what HAPPENED to her cell phone?” he asks for about the third time. He doesn’t know why, but Haru’s report of his conversation with Sami has tension coiling in his belly.

 

“No, and not why she was camping out under my desk either,” says Haru (again). He looks worried too. “But she sounded excited to come over.”

 

“Okay,” he sighs. He sets the lid on the vegetables to let them steam, checks the rice, and peeks in the oven at the fish. All nearly done. He looks at Haru out of the corner of his eyes. He looks good tonight. His jeans are snug, but not obscenely so, and hug his ass nicely. His blue shirt brings out the color of his eyes, and the bracelet they’d given him for Valentine’s Day gleams against his wrist. Aki can see the muscles in his back shift as he leans over the table to set down a plate. He takes a couple of steps and pins Haru against the table, hands sliding to frame slim hips, and kisses him on the back of his neck. Haru makes a small sound and presses back against Aki, his round bottom snug against Akihito’s growing arousal. He turns in Aki’s arms, and they are making out like they haven’t tasted one another in weeks when the doorbell rings.

 

Haru breaks away, flushed and flustered, but grabs Akihito's hand to pull him toward the door. "She's here!"

 

He's a little anxious for a number of reasons but also really exhilarated because for the first time, they'll be revealing themselves in a really important way to someone outside of their intimate circle. It wasn't so long ago that he was on the other side of things, and the fact that now both Akihito and Asami-sama claim him as theirs fills him with a bursting sense of pride and gratitude.

 

He'll never forget their kindness toward him when he first thrust himself into their path. He wants to make Sami feel as welcome. God knows, if she's as wound up as he was about everything, she's probably just a little bit terrified to even show up. But she's probably wildly curious too. Haru intends to do everything he can to set her at ease.

 

He combs a hand through his hair and then tugs down the hem of his shirt. Hopefully, looking like he just made out with his boyfriend won't have the opposite effect.

 

"I'm a little nervous," he whispers to Akihito before they open the door. "I'm  really happy that we get to be together like this...all of us together...you know, in front of someone else.  A friend." His fingers tighten around Akihito's hand. "Do I sound silly? It's...it's a really big deal to me. It's just, I never thought--"

 

The doorbell rings again, and Haru takes a deep breath and smiles and nods at Akihito to go ahead and open it.

 

Aki grins at Haru.

 

“Hell, I never thought I’d be doing anything like this, or  get over being horrified of what I was doing with Asami, and then when I met you, and you wanted it so bad, acting like it was embarrassing just seemed sort of stupid. I’m…” He ducks his head as he reaches for the door knob, “I’m really proud to be with you, Haru.”

 

They open the door.

 

Sami had gone home first. The small apartment was quiet. 'Mami?' No one home. Awesome. She’d limped to her room, flinging open the wardrobe. On its inside mirror, she had caught sight of herself: smeared eyeliner, t-shirt with a screaming sock-monkey on it, wild hair. No. Oh hells, no. She’d wanted… needed  to make a good impression, for Haru's sake.

 

Tonight would be, well, a newly-turned leaf. She’s scrubbed her face, taken a manicure brush savagely to her pared nails, trying to rid her hands of all traces of paint. She’d pulled off her jeans, hissing in pain because of what that asshole bastard had made her do, and pulled a very simple, grey dress off the hanger. She had worn it to the embassy when Mami got a citation. It was modest, and most importantly, covered her knees. There were cherry blossoms at the hem.

 

She’d looked in the mirror. Combed hair, fresh face, scrubbed clean. She had hoped Haruki would approve.

 

She’d gone into the kitchen with her big market tote basket, and loaded it up, her familiar grin returning.

 

The condo was in a VERY nice building that had three doormen. Yup, security everywhere, she thought. She took a deep breath and rang the buzzer. Maybe this was the wrong place. Rang again. The door flew open, and she was greeted by two flushed, bright-eyed boys.

 

"Hi there! I made it!" Just then, a small, barking fluff ball joins the fray. Startled, Sami looks down at the little dog. "Oyo!” squeals Sami in delight, " Hiii baybeeee!! Aren't you a muffin!!!! What's his name?"

 

“Um,” says Aki, looking a little chagrined. “It’s Gomi.”

 

Sami looks at him in horrified condemnation.

 

“You named your puppy GARBAGE?”

 

“It’s where we FOUND him. He’s a runt, and they threw him away and we rescued him and our friend Feilong and I who found him couldn’t decide on a name so Asami got tired of it and started calling him Gomi.”

 

Haru, damn him, is not being even remotely helpful, laughing at Aki’s attempts to explain the adorable little dog’s name. Aki elbows him in the ribs and glowers unconvincingly.

 

“Well it’s better than Ochinchin,” he mutters resentfully. “That’s what FeiFei wanted to call him.”

 

“You really have to admit ‘Garbage’ is better than ‘Penis’,” says Haru, now deciding to be helpful.

 

“I’m telling Asami to spank you later,” says Aki loftily, sticking out his tongue. He wants to see what Haru will say. Sami stands stock still as though she’s been poleaxed, and he can’t tell if she looks terrified or fascinated, but considering the gamut of emotions he’s run through himself in his journey to get to this place, here, tonight, it’s entirely possible she feels both.

 

Haru turns bright red, but he lifts his chin, and returns playfully, “Oh, so  you're giving Asami-sama orders now? I'll be sure to ask him all about that when he gets home.”

 

He snickers at Akihito's look of chagrin, and gives Sami a reassuring look. He’s pleased to see that she doesn’t look  too freaked out. In fact, her wide, interested eyes seem to indicate that she wouldn’t away screaming if something like that were to occur.

 

Haru makes an effort to keep the tone light just in case.

 

“Don't worry, Sami. If anyone gets spanked tonight, smart money is on Aki. He’s always begging for trouble. Anyway, thanks for coming! You look great!”

 

She does look nice, if oddly more conservative than he's used to seeing her, but Haru notices that she seems just a little tired too. Maybe it's a slight tension around her eyes or mouth that calls up all his concern again. It’s too early to broach any concerns about what’s going on with her phone and everything else, but he watches her carefully as she starts saying something about cherry blossoms and knees.

 

He can see the nervousness as Sami’s hands flutter around her, and he has to resist the impulse to hug her. But when she trails off, he smiles warmly and takes her hand to pull in past the doorway.

 

“Let's not stand here. Come in. Can we get you something to drink?”

 

After the day she’s had, that would be just the thing. “Oh,” she groans, “oh,  please! ” which, for some reason, causes Aki to turn red as a beetroot and Haru’s shoulders to shake in silent giggles. “A Sapporo with ginger would do it, thanks so much,” she tries to haul the large, colourful basket off the floor. Both boys lunge to help her with it at the same time, bumping shoulders. She watches as Aki turns his head and kisses Haru’s lips softly.

 

The little kiss is oddly reassuring to Sami; the boys are so relaxed and so tender that this apartment can’t possibly have ugly tensions hiding in its corners. And indeed, it doesn’t. It looks like it’s been lived-in, in layers. The finishes and decor are rich, understated, but somehow not sedate...there are tastefully-framed black & white photos on the… whoa! tastefully-framed  erotic  photos...PS3, games, Aki’s backpack, a gong... a gong ...Gomi’s bed.

 

She’s used to male lovers. She has many gay friends...however this word  triad  is new to her. But she has now decided that this is a safe place and chatters happily as Haru picks up the basket. “Great! Cool, where’s the kitchen? I have stuff in here for you...and I brought an appetizer - I hope you don’t mind. If you ask a  latina over, you’re going to get food!” She follows the boys into a western style chef’s kitchen. “Owww, snap! LOOK at this kitchen! She lifts a container out of the basket. “Look Haru, taquitos! You know how I tease and call you  Ito-taquito, ” she repeats the foreign word, “this is what it is.” The boys eye the little golden rolls with polite wariness. Sami assumes it’s their newness. “Oh, it’s good.” She breaks one in half and eats it. “See? Let’s heat them up. So do I look like a dork? Sorry, I just wanted to clean up a bit so your - so Asami won’t think I’m a  punk .” She reaches into the bag again. “This is for Asami.” She sets aside a wrapped, potted package, “This,” (a little bento box) “is part of the appetizer, and-and  these are for you!!” She presents each boy with a ping-pong paddle in a flood of giggles. “These are for the tournament! And look at the BACK! I came up with our team name...’Blazing Paddles’! Haaaaa!”

 

Akihito stares blankly from Sami to the hand-lettered rubber surfaces of the ping pong paddles for a few seconds, until being an enormous movie buff kicks into gear and helps him out. He has no idea whether Haru has ever seen  Blazing Saddles or not, but he’ll fill him in later if he hasn’t. He notices the way Sami’s eyes dart nervously around the condo when she first comes in, almost as if she’s looking for something deadly hidden in one of the corners. He wonders if she’s done some research on Asami and come up with a bunch of the gossip, rumors and speculation (unsubstantiated but widely believed to be true) about his business dealings, but it doesn’t seem like that’s it. He’s glad he decided to leave his photographs on the walls when he sees her smile at the sight of them. Glad also he’s taken the time to add some of Haruki to the mix. He really loves the one of Haru sitting on his heels with his back to the camera and his hands tied behind his back. You can’t tell whether he’s naked or wearing skimpy underwear because his hands cover his ass most of the way, and the rumpled bedding he’s sitting in conceal the rest. He’s peeking over his shoulder at the camera and he manages to look coy and sexy and innocent and a tiny bit shell-shocked at the same time. Even though it pains his talent a little to admit it, the picture Asami took of he and Haru snuggled up like exhausted puppies in the big bed is awfully pretty.

 

He fixes Sami a beer the way she’s requested it and tells her where to find baking sheets and anything else she needs to fix the appetizer she’s brought. The only place he’s ever seen taquitos is frozen in a plastic bag in the foreign food section at the big supermarket, but he’s betting these aren’t frozen. They look a little bit like spring rolls. And smell spicy and good when she starts them heating. She’s relaxing fast now, and he lets out a relieved sigh, grinning at Haru, who also looks relieved, if a little bemused by following the girl’s conversation. Aki giggles very softly as it strikes him that this is an awful lot like the way he himself sounds when he’s excited about something. No wonder Haru has that exact same expression on his face a lot when Akihito’s talking to him!

 

“Beer for you,” he says cheerfully, handing it to her after running a slice of ginger around the lip of the glass for a finishing touch. The smell of it makes him blush a little, remembering. “This is great, Sami! You didn’t have to bring anything, but I’m glad you did. Those smell awesome. Asami’s on his way. He got held up at work, but he’ll be here soon. I like your dress. I like your other clothes too, but you look really pretty tonight.” She does, it’s true, but she looks somehow strained too, whether from tiredness or nerves or stress is anyone’s guess, but he hopes she’ll be able to relax once she’s met Asami and sees that he’s not particularly terrifying.

 

“Hee hee!” Sami reaches into her bag and tosses a ping-pong ball onto the marble island. “Can’t forget this!”

 

Haru grabs the ball before it can roll off the counter and laughs.

 

"Thanks, Sami. You didn't have to do all this, but it's really sweet of you." He narrows his eyes in a mock-threatening way. "Except for the  Ito-taquito thing."

 

Akihito sniggers and repeats the name gleefully.

 

"Shut up, Sonic." Haru bounces the ping pong ball off Akihito's forehead, but his grin fades as a different thought strikes him.

 

"Um, don't take this the wrong way, Sami. These are great! But..." Haru grabs the paddles off the counter and stuffs them in the drawer with the spatulas and serving spoons. "Leaving these out in the open is just tempting fate."

 

Fate being Asami-sama, and fresh paddles being the red cape waved in his face. He's mixing metaphors now, but it doesn't change the facts. Like the gun in that Russian guy's story. If you show a paddle in the first act, you've got to use it by the end of the night. Or something like that.

 

Haru stifles a laugh and fetches two more beers. He hands one to Aki and raises up his glass. "To new friends!"

 

“Cheers to that!” Sami’s eyes sparkle. The word-play the boys have been exchanging is not lost on her. She’s trying to splice together in her head what now seem to be two Harus. The tidy, precise, shy gifted classmate - he always uses technical pencils with free-float leads, because he is so controlled and so deliberate that the leads never snap. Like,  never; and the gorgeous, siren-faced sweet figure in the photo on the wall. He’s both?

 

And Aki...well, Aki is Aki to her...she doesn’t really have a ‘before’ idea of him; he’s angular, wild, sweet, streetwise, and...and open. In Canada, she’d probably hug him a lot, like she does Raf. Here, she needs to wait a little until it’s okay.

 

“I wonder,” she muses as Haru closes the drawer, “how badly those would hurt?”

 

Akihito snorts with laughter.

 

“Those? Not much! I mean...Asami’s strong enough to make rice noodles sting if he hits you with them. Not that he does. Hit anybody with rice noodles I mean. Come on, they’re not very sturdy...but those are pretty light. AND padded. And compared to the other stuff he uses.”

 

“What other ‘stuff’ I use?” asks Asami politely and curiously, arriving as suddenly and silently in the kitchen as he does everywhere all the damn time. Aki’s mostly used to it now, especially when he’s expecting the man anyway.

 

“Hi,” says Aki, grinning at Asami while Haru goes to him, drawn to the man like a moth to flame, as though Asami is his light, and indeed he seems almost incandescent with happiness when Asami arrives.

 

“Hello,” says Asami, smiling at Sami, who is staring at him. Aki can’t tell if it’s awe, terror, fascination, or disbelief. The bastard IS too gorgeous to be real, after all. Haru makes introductions, and Asami takes Sami’s hand gently in his own, leaning down a little as he lifts her hand to his face where he kisses her knuckles softly before letting go. “I’m pleased to meet you. Welcome to our home. Haruki tells me you’re an artist.”

 

He studies the girl closely without staring obviously at her, a skill he’s honed by years of practice. She’s a pretty thing, dark hair, an olive tone to her smooth skin, bright eyes. So animated, so lively. She appeals to him on many levels, and yet warning bells had gone off in his head the moment he’d approached the kitchen and laid eyes on her, before she was aware of his presence. Nothing dangerous, just something hidden, that he’ll wait to...Ah. When she steps closer to him to be introduced, she limps. It’s not terribly noticeable, but it’s there, and she’s trying not to let it show.

 

He takes Haru under one arm and tilts the boy’s face up for a kiss, watching her from the corners of his eyes. She watches him greeting Haru with keen attention. She’s looking very intently for something, tension in every line of her body. If he doesn’t miss his guess, she’s frightened. He doesn’t know why yet, but he’s damn well going to find out.

 

“Hello, Haru-kun. Have you been a good boy today?” he murmurs, his mouth curving up at the corners.

 

For a moment, Haru forgets about anything but Asami's warm lips on his. Seeing Asami always makes his heart beat a little faster, and Haru's fingers curl into the spaces between the buttons of Asami's suit vest as he melts into the embrace.

 

The question makes him blush a little, and his gaze slides briefly to Sami, who seems transfixed, and then back again to Asami's warm, golden-brown eyes and their playful gleam. Haru answers with a little tease of his own. "So far, Asami-sama."

 

Asami-sama chuckles, and Haru's stomach flutters with happy excitement. "We made dinner, and Sami brought  taquitos , and we were just having a toast, and--" Haru straightens up abruptly. " Oh , I'll get your drink!"

 

He hustles to the cabinet to get an appropriate glass while Asami greets Akihito with another kiss. Akihito, ever vocal, can't quite conceal a tiny little whimper before Asami pulls away. Haru smiles as he takes a perfectly-shaped ice ball from the freezer and puts it in the tumbler. He's sure that was entirely deliberate on Asami's part.

 

Sami looks both fascinated and just a little bit awkward, so Haru catches her eye and grins as he pours a little amber-colored whiskey from the decanter. The ice clinks as he carries it over to the island and sets it down in front of Asami.

 

There's a slightly too long silence, and then Akihito and Haru and Sami all start to talk at once. They laugh, and say, "Sorry, go ahead," in unison, and then all four of them are chuckling.

 

When Sami was about seven years old, her dad Miguel Arroyo and her mom’s brother Uncle Hanny, who was Japanese-Italian like her mom, took her to the coffee shop. It had white melamine tables in the front. In the back was a thick haze of smoke, lots of men and a row of TVs showing horse races. Sami was held gently by her shoulders and presented to a man her Uncle called 'capo', who had steely grey eyes that made her tummy squirm. The man had bent from his chair, kissed her forehead and said the word 'famiglia'.

 

When they returned home, her Mami had smelled her hair and looked at Papi and said, "Mike!" But her Japanese nana, Kiki, had looked at Papi with shrewd eyes and nodded her head, once.

 

When Asami Ryuichi accepts her hand and kisses it, the feeling is the same. He smells slightly of smoke, an undertone of sandalwood and…can someone smell like  heat ? She hadn't expected him to be so tall, nor so broad-shouldered. The picture Aki had sent to her did not do him justice. His feral beauty is exquisite. His eyes are golden and beautifully tapered and make her squirm.

 

She takes a deep breath and a little step back and performs a smooth, perfect bow right to her waist, the way Kiki had taught her. "Asami-sama," she returns the greeting. She takes her calling card off the side counter and presents it to him and then she picks up the wrapped pot.

 

"A-Asami-sama, thank you for your hospitality. This is, uh," at this moment she chances to look up and the amber eyes pin her to the spot. Her heart hammers. She can't look away, although it’s audaciously rude to lock eyes with him.

 

"Well, it's j-just an orchid. It's in flower but," she stammers, "Once the flower is gone, keep it. It's -it's not dead…just dormant. S-sometimes things are….are dormant but they are still alive and still need care, and…" she has to stop then. Because she starts to feel so, so much like a little girl, and there is no Papi and no uncle Hanny and she'd been so, SO stupid and if she opens her mouth again she’s going to cry. She holds out the gift.

 

 

Asami hasn’t become as successful in business as he is by being oblivious. This girl is telling him about a lot more than an orchid. He takes the pot from her hands and inclines his head and shoulders just a little. It is beautiful. Slender and exquisitely formed, giving off its sweet fragrance, with lovely white blooms which open their throats to reveal a dark magenta on the inside.

 

“It’s lovely,” he says, looking at her and not the flower, “I’ll take good care of it. Thank you.”

 

She tells him in a shy voice that he’s very welcome. He takes a sip of his drink.

 

“What is it you’ve brought for us to taste?” he asks, keeping his voice even and quiet, as though she were a skittish small creature that will bolt if he startles her. She seems to relax at the way he handles...or mildly manhandles...his boys, so he tugs Haru into his lap after pulling a chair out and sitting beside, rather than at the table. Softly nipping the side of Haru’s neck, he smiles at the way it make Haru squirm a little and catch his breath.

 

“So far, hm? Well, at least you’ve been spending enough time with Akihito to know better than to make sweeping statements about good behavior.”

 

Akihito's indignant cry in response makes Haru giggle, mainly because what Asami says is true. He snuggles back against Asami's shoulder, content that Asami knows  really that Haru does try hard to be good, especially for him. But Haru adores the light-hearted play between them all. His warm feelings spill over into a happy smile.

 

"Well, we want to make a good impression on Sami tonight, so I'll be on my best behavior," Haru promises. That, of course, makes them both look over at Akihito who blusters a little as Asami teases him more.

 

"I'm not sure if our best behavior matches up with everyone else's ideas," Haru says, with a confiding grin for Sami. "But it's definitely not boring around here. What's it like at your place? Do you have a student apartment like me?" His curiosity gets the best of him and more questions spill out. "And are you from Tokyo? Have you always lived in Japan?"

 

He hopes he's not being too forward, but he realizes that he really doesn't know a lot about Sami yet, and he wants to change that.

 

Sami watches Asami-sama with Haru. She thinks about Genji, and about how her guard would always be up around him. This seems to be the opposite. It's like the formality and bustle of the day melt away from Haruki's face and form as he's gentled on his lover's lap. Until Aki expertly flicks a bottle cap, which bounces off his chest. A yelp of laughter bursts out of her mouth, and she claps her hand over it.

 

Famiglia. It occurs to Sami that there might be more than one way to….to….

 

While she opens the bento box and asks Aki for some small glasses, she answers Haru: "I will try and  condense. " She and Haru both laugh - she's imitating their Sensei Ng from school, whose catch-phrase for presentation materials is 'try to  condense ,  condense !'

 

"My nana Kiki  - my grandmother - is Japanese. My grandpa Trevi, her husband, was Italian. My mom's name is Esperanza Arroyo - she's a translator in the art world, and long story very short, I was raised by her and by nana Kiki, partly in Toronto, Canada and partly here. Along with studying installation art here, I also study painting at university in Toronto. That’s why I’m only here for some semesters and not others.”

 

She switches to Canadian english. "So I guess you could say I really am a global, naughty brat!" The boys look amused and befuddled, but Asami says quietly into Haru's hair in perfect english, "Very interesting."

 

"Which brings me to Papi," she says, carrying over a tray, " and  which brings me to this little snack. Papi - my father - was Puerto-Rican…and these," she begins daintily handing out the snack, "are  caballero .” She hands out small ceramic plates, each holding a long, thin, orange hot pepper drizzled with olive oil, and four tiny, curved knives. Last are four glass tumblers, containing pale green cocktails.

 

She sits down with a devilish grin. "Don't touch them with your fingers. Slice a little piece and stab and eat it. They're tasty but soooo hot. When the heat is too much, you drink the cocktail. It's limeade with a little rum, and the acid will cut the alkaline of the pepper and make it stop hurting. It's like - like a fucked-up version of a tea ceremony!" Her eyes are dancing. "The last one to reach for their drink can take the most pain. I don't think you'll last Haru-kun. You look too sweet for pain!" And with that, she slices the tip of her caballero, slowly sticks her tongue out and collects it like a mischievous lizard.

 

Asami chuckles softly into Haru’s hair and reaches for his pepper. Deftly slicing off a piece, he brings it to his lips and takes it in his mouth, biting into its crisp flesh with a smirk.

 

“You’d be surprised how wrong it’s actually possible to be,” he muses, patting Haru’s backside...not very gently. “Although you must admit the pain from pepper juice and….hm...other types of pain...are not one in the same. Still, I’ll accept your dare, but when I finish this pepper without taking a drink, you’ll tell me why you’re limping.”

 

Sami goes pale and silent and both Akihito and Haruki look to him in confusion.

 

“It’s all right,” he continues, taking another bite. Spicy food of almost any kind appeals to Asami. The caballero is indeed spicy, but more flavorful than other peppers he’s sampled. He smiles a little, thinking about Haru’s Valentine’s gift of cayenne-infused dark chocolate. He’ll have to remind the boy to make some for his new friend. “I assure you, you’re quite safe here. You wouldn’t be trying so hard to hide it if there was a harmless reason.” He takes another bite and looks at the girl steadily, not liking the way her eyes dart away from his. She reminds him in an unsettling way of Sara, the sweet little damaged slave girl who had run to his Trainer after escaping from the very man who had nearly gotten his filthy hooks into Haru.

 

Aki and Haru may both be occasionally oblivious about different things and for different reasons, but they’re both smart and can quickly tell that something is indeed wrong with their friend. Aki takes two bites of his pepper, then reaches for his cocktail, eyes watering.

 

“Phew! I like pain plenty….um...maybe not as much as Haru...but this is too spicy for me! Oh wow...this drink is great! Can I just have this? Hey Sami...you can tell Asami what’s wrong. Whatever it is. He’s an arrogant son of a bitch, but he doesn’t hurt people like you. Um. Except in good ways. I’m just gonna shut up and drink now.”

 

Asami rolls his eyes a little and reaches out to flick the tip of Akihito’s nose.

 

“Watch the alcohol, little boy. You know you’ve no head for it, and if you act like a drunken moron, I’ll show this girl what kind of pain you like until you’ve had more than enough of it.”

 

He smiles wolfishly at Aki, who takes a much smaller sip of his drink and puts on his best angelic expression. Haru snorts with laughter. Asami nudges him gently, because he thinks it’s what Haru can say to her that will make her more sure of him. She hasn’t known Akihito long enough.

 

Haru's chest tightens. Sami's stricken expression and the uncertainty showing in her hunched shoulders goes straight to his heart. He leans forward and tentatively extends his hand, letting the tips of his fingers touch the back of her hand for a moment.

 

"Aki's right, Sami," Haru begins gently, trying to find the words to ease her mind. "I don't know exactly what you're going through right now, but I do know what it's like to be scared and confused and...and feeling all alone with it. I just want you to know that you can trust us. You really can. I'm a pretty good listener, and Aki and Asami-sama..." Haru's face lights up when he says their names, his devotion glowing in his eyes. "When I first showed up around here, they had  no reason to be nice to me, believe me. But they were anyway. They were both so kind. Akihito, well, you've seen how he is. You get it."

 

Sami's lips curve in the tiniest of smiles, though her eyes dart back to Asami. Haru nods, acknowledging her wariness.

 

"It's kind of scary, honestly, the way Asami-sama can see right through you. He does it all the time with us too, and...and it's hard because he has a way of making you be really truthful with yourself, but it's good too, you know? It's not something that he'll use against you."

 

Haru shakes head and grins ruefully. "I know I'm rambling, but the point I'm trying to make is that you can trust us.  All of us. We're friends here, and if you need help or just to talk about stuff or...or just a dinner where we burn our tongues and Aki gets in a lot of trouble one way or another..." He waits for Aki to protest on cue and grins at Sami. "...either way."

 

His smile turns into a smirk, and he pulls further away from Asami to whisper, "But Asami-sama  is pushy, so he's probably gonna get it out of you anyway. Might as well just get it over with, or he'll just keep giving you the  Look ."

 

Haru yelps as Asami's arms circle him and squeeze tightly, pulling him back against his firm chest. Sami looks for a moment almost like she wants to laugh, so that's something.

 

“Oh, and by the way…” Haru reaches over and stabs his pepper whole, and then drops the whole thing in his mouth. He chews happily, enjoying the look on Sami’s face. “I love spicy food!”

 

After a few seconds his face turns bright red, and he hastily grabs his little glass and downs it in one go as a couple of tears leak out of the corners of his eyes.

 

Asami slaps him helpfully on the back and then sedately finishes the last bite of his pepper, sitting back with one eyebrow raised at he watches Sami steadily, the expression on his face clearly saying, “Your move.”

 

Sami, who had taken a drink after four or five bites laughs, declaring it a tie, because although Asami outlasted Haruki, her schoolmate garners special kudos for taking the sting all in one shot.

 

Her laugh turns into a bittersweet smile. Buoyed by the familiar taste of the pepper and limeade, she begins to speak:

 

"Just - first -  thank you for having me, and for…for reaching out. It's been…" she trails off, trying to sort out the tangled mass of anger, hurt and shame that's making her chest tighten. "If what I tell you makes you uncomfortable and you decide it's better if I…don't come back, I won't blame you," she flashes a nervous smile at Haru.

 

"It's easier to tell you about my feelings first, and then tell you about my uh, little drama. Okay, so you know I'm studying art. And my mind is always like - GAH! - like a  storm  of ideas, and they just tumble out…I have a strong imagination and I need…I sometimes need a way to stop myself from almost unravelling. So, since I was young, I sometimes," her voice grows quiet, "I do things to myself that maybe sting, or bite, or chafe," she looks right at Asami, "Sir, NOT like cutting, or-or strangling myself on a doorknob, no…just...just enough to make me sort of, almost high, and peaceful…

 

When I got older, doing these things would make me," she lets out a breath and takes a gulp of limeade, "well,  aroused . When I began having sex - and hey, it's not like I've been all over Tokyo or anything - it's like there were two layers to me…the first layer, where I did all the things a person might normally do in bed - you know - kiss, touch each other, blowjobs, fucking…" She looks up, wondering if she's going to be tossed out the door, but sees only three pairs of very patient eyes fixed on her.

 

“That's how I behaved having sex with somebody, but, at night alone in my bed, I would touch myself and think of this whole  other world of things NO ONE knew about…being spanked, and bitten, and blindfolded…having someone bite the scruff of my neck hard and…and fuck me….even…even wearing younger clothes and pretending I'm a little girl. I would imagine two people, one being in charge and - this is the worst - making the other, smaller one cry, but then holding him and rocking him better. When I browse through movies with my friends, I always notice the ones with spanking in them and then later, I download them by myself and watch them. Once, at a party, a girl I know was talking about being spanked by her boyfriend, and my face got so, so hot...I was so jealous and so turned on...Okay, so - so now you know. You guys, my brand new friends know my biggest secret.” She hugs her small frame with her arms and looks at them, her face tense and braced for rejection.

 

Asami listens patiently while she talks, and her nervous expectation of being tossed out on her ear after confessing her dark desires pulls a deep, rich chuckle from him. As if  he  was now going to be horrified by her depravity. Haru and Aki are grinning at her and nodding while she talks.

 

“Thank you for trusting us with that,” says Asami softly. “I assure you, you’ve said nothing to offend anyone here. Your story is not so different from many of the people I know who live the kind of lifestyle we’ve chosen. I, myself, have been practicing this sort of thing for many years. I had only had casual play partners until I met Akihito, and Feilong...who is our friend but not with us the same way anymore as he has found the love he truly needs with another, though he is still important to us in many ways, and if you stick around, you will probably meet him and his partner, Yoh. Then when we met Haru, it was as if an open circuit suddenly closed.”

 

He leans forward and looks penetratingly at her where she sits perched tensely on the edge of her chair.

 

“And you are avoiding the question, my girl. Show me your knees.” The tone of his voice leaves no room for disobedience.

 

Sami sits back and looks at Asami for a long time, digesting his words. Before acceding to his request, she needs to put on the brakes and really understand. "Asami-sama….Haru and Aki…are you saying that in your - your life together, that you like similar things and…and  share  them together?"

 

“That’s exactly what we’re saying,” says Asami. “We share a sexual relationship. Sometimes all three of us together, sometimes myself and one of my boys, sometimes just the two of them. I love to spank them, among other things such as bondage, roleplay, plugs, vibrators and such. They don’t seem to have any complaints. Well,” he amends, “Akihito loves to whine about how much of a bastard I am, but that is...part of the game. We are also still in the fairly early stages of this triad, and are learning what one another like.” He smiles and nods, encouraging her to continue.

 

"Well," she takes a sharp little breath, and her voice is thick with tears, "you'll have to help me understand  this then, because I don't think it's the same thing!" Sami pushes back from the table, puts her toes on Haru's leg so her knees are level with the tabletop and inches the hemline of her skirt up.

 

It is a bizarre, brutal sight. Both of Sami's knees are swollen, pitted with odd, scabby little craters, and angry red in color.

 

She wipes her eyes, because it's now more painful to stop than to blurt the awful truth out. "My mom works for PAAC. That means Pan-Asian Arts Council. They bring talented Asian artists and musicians and stuff to North America. So, I met Genji actually through my mom. He's a sculptor and came to Toronto and he spoke at our school. We went out at night, and ended up, well, making out, I guess, and that was the first time anyone ever did something to me that matched what I like. He bit me and grabbed me hard. I thought it was amazing! I even told my very best friend Aidan.

 

“Genji is…well, he's SO talented… special . I couldn't believe he wanted anything to do with a little punk from Kensington Market like me. When his time in Canada was finished, it was also time for me to start semester three here in Tokyo, so we both ended up back here, and things really changed. Instead of just rough sex he would…he did things like make me kneel on the kitchen floor all night, or…do things like…pinch my skin," she began to cry, "with clamps on my n-nipples and even on my…my lips between my legs so hard I lost feeling….and maybe some people like that," her voice rose in pitch and she sobbed, "but I said  no , and  stop and pleaded! He told me that I needed to forget what I knew and just surrender to him," She accepts a tissue from Aki. "I know I seem unbelievably stupid. But I'm not. I-I know this is abuse and nobody deserves to be harmed and treated like dirt!"

 

Oddly, she laughs in the middle of her sobs. "That's when I met Uncle…" Utterly confused looks from all three. She smiles, and a tear curls into her mouth. "Your friend, Suoh-san. I'd see the car every day, and I'd always say hi, and he'd NEVER say hi, but I just  kept on saying hi, " she begins to sob, holding her hand up as if to say, so sorry, wait…."by last week I d-decided that if things got really bad I would just go find him in the morning a-and he would take me somewhere safe. Isn't that  funny ?"

 

"Two days ago, Genji allowed me to bring one of his pieces into class. It was shaped - I guess sort of like an egg-form, but big, like maybe the size of Gomi…" She laughs again. "It certainly ended up as gomi! When it was time to leave, I picked it up by the base, and the mounting screws came loose, and the fucking thing rolled across the landing and crashed down the stairs! I freaked. It was cracked and had a huge dent. I took pictures with my phone, because you can insure art, so at least he'd get some money for it…"

 

“Well, I went home, I showed him, I explained. He made me go and kneel in the kitchen. Then he threw pearl barley onto the floor and made me kneel in it. I can take some pain, but after what seemed like ages, it was awful…he caught me putting my hands on the floor and then…all HELL broke loose. He dropped the sculpture onto the floor and took a big hammer and smashed it, then he smashed my phone and called me worthless  gaijin scum and whore and donkey and then…."

 

Sami got very quiet, quite lost in her pain. "He went and got my thesis painting; Oberon the Fairy King, you know, from  A Midsummer Night's Dream. And he tore him into  bits , and - ah..." she trails off, hugging herself tightly, "Who - who d-does that? And then I waited until he left the room and I just ran out, and…."

 

There are no more words….she hurts so badly, but she has also been washed clean.

 

Asami stands up abruptly, his hands on Haru’s hips to slide him to his feet instead of dumping him on the floor.

 

“Akihito, go get the first aid kit,” he says calmly. Aki looks at him, and can tell that Asami is anything but calm. He springs to obey, running to the bathroom. Asami turns to Sami and picks her up with his hands around her waist as though she weighs no more than a sigh. He takes one long stride and sets her down on the countertop, slowly pushing the hem of her dress back up over her wounded knees but no further. Aki is back with the first aid kit in a flash, setting it down on the counter next to Sami’s right hip and opening the lid.

 

Asami inspects the girl’s damaged knees carefully. Making a submissive kneel on rice or barley is a thing lifestyle partners do occasionally practice, though it’s not one he agrees with. That kind of punishment is, perforce, fairly brief, because major bruising begins to happen before the first half-hour is up. The condition of this girl’s knees speaks of hours, not minutes. Rage rises up from his guts, wanting to roar in his ears and claw its way from his body, but he ignores it for now. Sami’s knees need more than a gentle wash and some salve. There are a couple of pearls of barley actually still embedded in her skin. He begins to withdraw what he needs from the first aid kit.

 

“Haru,” he says softly, “come over here and sit next to Sami and hold her hand, please.”

 

She’s not a coward, and definitely not a wimp, this one, but what he’s going to do is going to hurt her mangled knees, and Haru’s comfort and compassion probably won’t come amiss.

 

Haru is trembling by the time Sami finishes her story. It’s not sorrow or compassion that causes it, though he feels both keenly. It’s pure rage.

 

Sami doesn’t need that, though, not now. He leverages himself onto the counter next to her and gently puts his arm around her. He doesn’t care that he doesn’t know her remarkably well, or that it’s a presumptuous thing to do. He can’t even help himself, because if anyone has ever looked as if they need a little plain human comfort it’s Sami right now. For that matter, he needs it too. He reaches across with his free hand to clasp hers. Slowly the tightly curled fingers relax and lace with his.

 

He holds her, valuing his own good fortune all the more, and strokes her back gently, murmuring soft words of reassurance.

 

“It’s going to be all right, Sami. You’re safe now. That  person won’t hurt you again.” He can’t help the venomous bite to his last words. Just the thought of that guy treating Sami so badly makes him entertain all sorts of wild revenge fantasies, and if Sami wasn’t fighting back tears in his arms, he’d be sorely tempted to storm out of the apartment and take matters into his own hands, no matter how ill-advised that might be.

 

He casts an anxious, furious look at Asami and sees the grim expression echoing his own disturbed emotions. Somehow that settles him a little. Asami-sama will make things better. He always does.

 

The tension in his body eases just a little, and he’s able to give Sami a small, encouraging smile. “You can squeeze my hand if you need to.”

 

"Aki?" she sniffs, remembering he's a movie buff, "You saw Titanic, right?" He cocks his head, wondering why on earth she’d ask such a thing now, but nods. "At the end, when ow, ow,  ow, ow! S-sorry Asami-sama, for moving…at the end, when Rose blows the whistle and the boat comes back for her and saves her life, and then she goes on to be everything she's supposed to be…" she screws up her face and buries it in Haru's shoulder, "Ah,  fuck !!…when she goes on to live her life….that's w-what I'm going to do now!"

 

Her discomfort, and the obvious, overwhelming concern being paid to her makes her thoughts scattered, and frank. "H-how do you….I mean, Sir, if you are the boss, a-and Aki and Haruki, you have given yourselves to him…a-are there like, rules, or ways you talk to each other and stuff?

 

 

Asami doesn’t answer for a few moments, concentrating on removing a hard little kernel of uncooked barley from the girl’s flesh. She’s bleeding again from a few of the nastier spots, some where he’s plucked the grains free and some from being cleaned and having the tiny scabs break open. It’s not serious, and she’ll be fine in a couple of days, but the sheer cruelty of it still stuns him.

 

“For many partners, a BDSM relationship does include many rules. Some common ones are waiting to eat until the Master gives permission, not leaving his or her presence without asking, being required to have permission to achieve orgasm. Here, we don’t have any such formal arrangement. Akihito would hate it, and it wouldn’t be fair to require those things of one of them but not the other. Some Dominants wish to be referred to as Master, Mistress, Sir, Ma’am, things like that. Titles don’t make me feel more or less in control. I require that they answer my calls or texts, within reason. Akihito has work and Haru has classes, projects, study groups...I try not to be unreasonable. I’m a very wealthy man. I have enemies…” He pauses for a beat and looks at her. She has the same thoughtful, reminiscent look on her face as when they were introduced, and he’d like to know who she’s remembering, of whom he reminds her, because she nods simply and does indeed seem to understand.

 

Her face clouds in pain again as he applies more antiseptic. He blows softly on the wound before continuing.

 

“I’d say I require a modicum of respect...and to a degree this is true, but it is a very...lenient amount of respect. It happens that I appear to be fond of cheeky brats.” He smirks at Akihito, who threatens to squirt him with the bottle of hydrogen peroxide he’s holding.

 

“I do require that they obey any demands I make related to their personal safety, whether they may understand those demands at the time or not. I don’t make these demands arbitrarily, but on these I am unbending. They’re forbidden to act in ways that would endanger their lives or health unnecessarily. By that I mean operating any kind of vehicle under the influence, doing drugs, those sorts of things.”

 

“He’s a tyrant,” says Aki cheerfully, knocking back the rest of his very, extremely delicious green limeade. Unsurprisingly, a single beer and a mixed drink have gone straight to his head and he’s the tiniest bit tipsy. He hates being such a lightweight, but at least he’s never had to spend a lot of money to get drunk. “Well. Y’know, I really did think he was a tyrant at first, cause I didn’t think I wanted to be in….this kinda relationship thing, yeah? But the bastard grew on me. Um, probably didn’t hurt that he saved my life a time or two too. Heh. Two too.”

 

Asami rolls his eyes, but the expression on his face when he looks at Aki is fond, if mildly exasperated.

 

“ That  one has felt the consequences of drinking and driving,” he says as he takes out an unlabeled green glass jar. Sami looks from him to Akihito and back. He notices that her hand grips Haru’s very tightly as her anxiety ramps back up.

 

“You...you punished him?” she asks hesitantly. He dislikes the nerves he hears in her voice, the fear. He opens his mouth to explain, but is interrupted by Akihito.

 

“Yeah,” he says ruefully, one hand going behind his back to rub his ass in remembrance. “He waited ‘til he was sure I was sober enough, then he caned me. Hey no, don’t look like that,” he rushes on, seeing the expression on Sami’s face. “It was ten times. He didn’t like...beat me bloody or anything. It hurt, sure. I mean, he’s really strong. Oh. Um.”

 

“With a  cane? ” asks the girl, still sounding horrified. “Like a  walking  cane?”

 

Sudden understanding of her reaction makes Aki flap his hand at her and laugh.

 

“Oh shit,” he says, “no wonder you’re freaked. No.  No,  not a walking cane. You could like...break somebody’s bones that way. I mean a cane like they use in England, you know, in schools and stuff. More like a really, really thick switch. It made me cry a lot, and it left some bruises, but I’ll never drink and drive again! And it was sort of cool that after that, he never brought it up or reminded me or made me feel bad about it again.”

 

“I don’t punish often. Haruki has only been punished once. That is his story to tell, and I shall leave it up to him whether he wants you to know about it. I use corporal punishment, and I never inflict permanent or even serious damage. It is done only in extreme circumstances. They are adults, and I’m not their father. The rest of the time, when I spank or beat them….and by that I only mean to imply I use various implements which you’d probably say don’t count as spanking, so I use the term loosely. I never use my fists on them. And I reserve the more intimidating implements for true punishment, not for play. You see, Akihito here is a bit tipsy. He has no head for alcohol whatsoever. It’s likely his smart mouth is going to start writing checks his ass can’t cash, and I’ll spank him. Whether you’re still here or not doesn’t matter. If I decide I want to spank him for being a brat, I’ll do so. He’s mine. But it won’t be in anger, and not a true punishment. It will be because he wants me to, frankly. The same would apply to Haru, but he doesn’t get drunk quite as easily.”

 

Aki leans forward and whispers loudly and theatrically,

 

“Guess what? I’m gonna be a brat, Sami, cause I don’t want you to look like that anymore, so I want you to see what he means.” He grins triumphantly. “Plus also I...um...well, I kinda like it when it’s where someone can see...if it’s someone I know and can trust not to like, mess with my life over it, tell people and stuff. Or I like it if it’s where someone MIGHT see. Or hear.”

 

“Akihito has a strong exhibitionist streak,” says Asami, opening the glass jar. The scent of herbs fills the air. “This is an ointment I order specially made from an herbalist in the city. She is ancient and her skill astounds me.”

 

“You should feel the lube he gets from her!” says Aki loudly. “I mean DAMN. It’s like...AMAZING. I think she’s a witch.”

 

“Yes, so you’ve said,” continues Asami. “And to be honest, it wouldn’t surprise me. This, however, is not a sexual aid. It’s for bruises and swelling. It will take away some of the pain very quickly, and you should feel quite a bit better tomorrow. It will still take a few days for the ache and bruising to heal completely, but this will help a lot.” He gently dabs the creamy substance onto Sami’s cuts and then carefully massages it into the lurid bruises on her knees. She whimpers at the pressure at first, but slowly a look of pleased surprise dawns on her face. “You see, our arrangement is rather an informal one. I don’t have many hard and fast rules, but on the occasions...rare though they may be...when one of them does something truly dangerous, I will not compromise. Their backsides will pay the price, but that is all. And then the slate is wiped clean. Do you have any questions? I’m happy to answer any you may have.”

 

“What did you do, Haru?” asks Sami curiously. “I mean, if you don’t mind telling me?”

 

"I base jumped off of Asami-sama's balcony last week."

 

The look on Sami's face is priceless, and when Akihito starts giggling, Haru can't keep a straight face either. One raised eyebrow from Asami-sama, which manages to make him look both amused and threatening, straightens Haru up, and he grins apologetically.

 

"Kidding. Aki and I would  never discuss the possibility of something like that."

 

Akihito snorts another laugh, but Haru is already thinking about how to answer Sami. He casts a quick look at Asami, and then stares down at Sami's bruised knees.

 

"Well, I think you noticed when you started seeing Aki come around, right? So you've probably figured out that I haven't actually been with Aki and Asami-sama for very long. But I told you how nice they were to me when I met them several months ago, right?"

 

Haru takes a deep breath. "Well, I...I kind of latched on to them, and my feelings, they...got out of control. And I didn't want to lose either one of them if I ended up doing something stupid that would make them not want me around anymore. So...so I figured that I had to change things because all I could think about was them, and it...it was killing me, so I decided that if I could meet someone else that maybe it would be okay, and Aki could still be my friend, and Asami-sama would still talk to me and..."

 

Sami's hand squeezes his, and Haru realizes that he's talking too fast and his voice probably sounds a little funny.

 

This is harder than Haru thought it would be to talk about. His emotions from that time are still very tender, especially since he hasn't completely rid himself of the notion that it's all borrowed time, and once they get to know him a little better they'll decide he's really not worth their trouble after all.

 

He gives her a small, grateful smile and shrugs. "So I thought I'd go to a club by myself. A BDSM club. I found one online, and I went. I only texted Aki at the last minute what I was doing." Haru laughs softly. "It was awful. Not the club, I think it was okay, but I felt so awkward. I had no idea what I was doing, and Asami-sama told me later all about protocols and things I really didn't get, but I know I stuck out like a sore thumb, and all I wanted to do was leave as fast as I could. I made myself stay, though. And..." Haru's gaze slides over to Asami, briefly daring to meet his eyes. Asami's face is smooth, but Haru blanches anyway and looks down at Sami's knees again. "A man came up to me and started up a conversation, and he seemed really nice. So...so I agreed to go out and get a coffee with him, but just when we were leaving, Asami-sama and Aki showed up."

 

Sami gasps softly.

 

"Yeah, I was so shocked," Haru chuckles ruefully. "Horrified in a way. Embarrassed. But a part of me was so happy too, especially when Asami-sama started talking to that man, who it turns out wasn't a nice person after all. But I wasn't processing all of that right then. I was just floored that they had shown up."

 

Haru looks up and meets Asami's gaze steadily this time, his eyes are bright and wet, and his lips tremble a little as he smiles. "Asami-sama was  so angry. To make a long story short, we kind of figured out that we all wanted to try...to be together, I mean. But since that happened after what I did, Asami-sama gave me the choice of whether or not I should be punished for it."

 

"You chose to be punished?" Sami asked in a small, shocked voice.

 

"Yeah." Haru nods and smiles at her, looking anything but regretful of that choice. "He was right about everything. I  did avoid them for days before I finally decided to go to the club. I deliberately waited to tell them anything because I knew they would try to talk me out of it. Even then, I didn't give them enough time or information about what I was going to do, which was stupid and dangerous, and I put myself in a situation where I knew I was over my head. And...and I really really scared them." Now, heavy remorse does flicker over his face. "So I did deserve it," Haru continues softly. "And I think that maybe deep down it was exactly what I was hoping would happen. Not that I was thinking that clearly at the time, but...subconsciously maybe."

 

His brow furrows as Haru thinks back to that night, but then his expression clears, and he smiles at Sami again. "So he punished me, all right. That night. Even worse, he won't mix punishment with...you know..." Haru blushes. "So we had to wait until the next morning to be together like that."

 

“Wow,” Sami says softly. “It’s all... so different  than what I thought.” she smiles wryly. She turns to Haru. “Can I give you a hug? My family hugs. I don’t know how  not  to hug.”

 

He nods. Sami leans sideways, wraps her arms around her shy friend and squeezes. After a long moment, she pulls back and asks him, “Hey, do you know why I started bugging you in the first place?” Without waiting for an answer, she continues, tilting her head a little. “Dude, I actually sort of look up to you at school. Did you know that? Like...like how you present your projects. You’re so animated, but you’ve thought everything through, too...and sometimes you stay after for nearly an hour to let all the first-years ask questions. It’s like you want everyone to be successful, not just yourself. I can see you one day being at meetings, and being so gracious and thoughtful but still confident. It made me want to try harder, and just be less of a crazy-ass, you know?”

 

She looks over at Aki and grins…”Yeah, but then, they can’t take ALL the crazy out of people like us, can they, Aki?” She laughs….”man, you’re sort of like a boy ‘me’. A-a  bad boy me,” she shifts on the counter a little, allowing herself to contemplate the possibility of pretty, hazel-eyed Aki getting his bottom firmly and deliberately spanked by this...man with the tiger’s eyes.

 

She turns back to Haru and says quietly, “Well….it’s been a pretty honest night, eh?” she stares into his eyes, but he’s not picking up her meaning. She leans in close and whispers, “Why don’t you? Now is good! Show them your beautiful sketches...of them. They say it all.”

 

Haru's eyes widen, and a deep blush creeps over his face and down his throat. "Those are just...when I need a break from other stuff," he whispers back. "They're not meant for anyone to  see ."

 

But Akihito already looks like he's scented a story, and Asami's eyes flicker with interest too. Haru shakes his head rapidly and laughs nervously.

 

"It's nothing...Sami was just mentioning some sketches she saw, but that was an accident, and...and they're just rough drawings.”

 

It's the exposure that scares him, though. He'd put all his tangled emotions into those pieces, and he's not sure he can bear for them to see just how very deeply they both affect him, how much he feels.

 

Asami runs a hand over Haru's hair, hoping to calm his agitation.

 

"You can wait until you're ready, little boy.But I would very much like to see your drawings sometime. "

 

He pulls Sami's dress back down over her knees and gives one a gentle pat.

 

"If Haru prefers to wait, shall we see to dinner? I'm hungry."

 

Akihito jumps up and pulls taquitos and baked fish out of the oven. Haru moves to help him, their bodies moving in a choreography which has become second nature to them. They slide past and duck under one another with ease, touching frequently. In minutes, the food is on the table.

 

"Dude, I didn't know you could draw," says Aki enthusiastically. "I know," he says, holding up his hands, "you don't have to. But I totally wanna see. Is he good, Sami? I bet he is. Asami, can we have wine?"

 

Asami chuckles.

 

"I'd say it depends on how badly you want to avoid a spanking. "

 

"I don't," grins Aki. "I wanna be buzzed enough not to be embarrassed!"

 

"Wine it is," says Asami, and fetches a bottle of Riesling from the cooler, knowing Aki likes the sweet stuff.

 

Sami sighs contentedly as the small dishes are passed around the table. Asami pours wine into all of the glasses, except his own, as is customary. Haru fills it for him. She flexes her leg experimentally. Her knees feel cool, and numb. "Thank you," she says to Asami, and he inclines his head slightly.

 

Once everyone has been served, she picks up her chopsticks and delicately samples her food. It is flavorful, and the fish flakes and melts on her tongue. She praises the food in Italian, and there is a lot of confusion and laughter over the Italian word  mangia (eating) and the anglo-Japanese term  manga (Japanese comics).

 

"I won't," she says pointedly, "tell you anything more about Haru's sketches. I only whispered that to him in confidence and….I'm not a rat. He can decide."

 

The wine is warming her belly, and some of her habitual boldness is returning. Yes indeed, she has found herself at dinner with three very different, very captivating men. They would make beautiful watercolor subjects, to be sure. She will never ask however, because she knows now that this house is  omertà. Code of silence and discretion. She hopes that Asami can sense that she understands this.

 

She watches his large, finely-shaped hands and the way the tendon in his bare forearm flexes when he feeds a morsel of food to Haru, with a whispered endearment.

 

She hasn't lied; her imagination is agile, highly-colored, a kaleidoscope of mixed meanderings. "How did you make the fish sauce?" she asks Aki, all the while wondering if Asami will just spank…or if he will stroke and graze his fingers over the arc of Aki’s bottom, murmuring dirty things. If Aki will stay still, or if his lithe body will squirm with want. "Shit!" she drops a water chestnut onto the floor, and it rolls, until Gomi pounces.

 

Akihito laughs.

 

"Best thing about having a dog. You never gotta clean up spilled food! Umm...the fish is lemongrass and sesame oil and a little ginger and lemon juice. I'm glad you like it."

 

"Akihito has become quite an excellent cook. It's nice to have that to come home to rather than three fingers of scotch and cigarettes." Asami salutes Aki with the bite of food in his chopsticks. "Not that it ever saves his cute little round ass when his mouth gets away from him."

 

Aki winks at Sami.

 

"Well, to be fair it's not always my mouth."

 

And he uses one chopstick as a catapult to launch a piece of carrot at Haru, hitting him right between the eyes.

 

Haru’s eyes narrow, but before he can retaliate, he remembers his unfortunate promise earlier in the evening. Somehow he doubts that Asami-sama would view beaning Aki in the head with a  taquito as being on his best behavior. Besides, they’re really tasty, and it  would be rude to throw the special food Sami brought.

 

“Asami-sama,” Haru says in his most innocent tones, reaching down to feed Gomi the offending piece of carrot. “Did you know that Sami brought us  another gift? I have a feeling you might think it’ll come in handy later.”

 

He takes a drink of his wine, his eyes flashing mischievously over the rim as he stares Akihito down.

 

Asami hides his amused chuckle in his wineglass.

 

"Oh? Haru-kun, did you by any chance just feed that puppy table scraps on purpose?"

 

Haru may be growing into his mischievous nature by leaps and bounds, but lying outside the auspices of roleplay isn't his style.

 

"Yes, Asami-sama," he confesses. Asami winks at him, hoping the boy gets the message that it's okay to be a LITTLE bit naughty. This is fun. Then he turns to Sami. "What other gift?"

 

Sami purses her lips into a tight little shape, eyes dancing as she glances from Asami to his two younger lovers, trying to figure out what might be worse: deflecting Asami-sama's question or snitching on the boys. "I…" she says slowly, taking great delight in Aki's widening no-no-no-no eyes, "have equipped my team with paddles for our charity ping-pong tourney. But I'm SO sorry to say, these have been hidden from sight. Perhaps my modest gift was not pleasing?" and with that she throws the two sweet lambs to the wolf.

 

She gets up, taking a step backward toward the cooking area. "Aki?" she teases, loving the playful scowls she's getting, "Shall I help you get the dessert?" without taking her eyes off Aki, she takes another step back. "Do we maybe need a-a pastry server?" giggles helplessly. "Where would you keep one? In-in a drawer?" When Aki scrambles up, she yelps delightedly and scoots around the island.

 

Haru stifles his own laughter, watching Aki get all panicky about a) something he  wants to happen, something that he’s practically been  begging for and b) paddles that he scoffed at actually causing any sort of real pain earlier. He really is  too funny when he’s tipsy.

 

He sneaks Sami a  look , though, for ratting them out about hiding them. At least, she didn’t say  he did it. If he’s lucky, Asami-sama won’t even think to ask.

 

Akihito plants himself in front of the drawer and leans against it, glaring in mock affront at Sami, then at Haru.

 

"You're both mean! YOU at least ought to be helping me Haru!" He points accusingly at Sami. "Stay back, woman!"

 

"Aki-kun, don't raise your voice to a guest. It's rude. Open the drawer at once."

 

Aki does so with a great show of reluctance. Asami stands and walks over to it, fishing the ping pong paddles out with one hand.

 

"Interesting," he comments mildly. "I had no idea we kept these here. I wonder how on earth they got here..."

 

Haru might as well have a sign blinking 'GUILTY' over his head. He looks self-conscious and sheepish, but he still has to bite his bottom lip to keep from giggling, at least until Asami-sama looks at him and merely arches one eyebrow significantly.

 

Haru straightens up and offers him a hopeful grin. "Um, that may have been me. Okay, it  was me," he says quickly, after Asami's other eyebrow goes up. "I kind of remembered how you decided to...um...test those others paddles you brought home last week--the ones with our names on them. And...well..."

 

Aki is obviously remembering that night too because he's gone a little flushed, and Haru isn't sure if it's embarrassment or arousal. They're a matched set anyway because Haru's cheeks have turned pink too.

 

A quick look at Sami shows that  she's not embarrassed at all. In fact, she looks positively gleeful. Haru decides discretion is the better part of valor, and offers her an apology. "Sorry, Sami. I guess that  was really rude, but the paddles are awesome. Really. They're our team paddles, Asami-sama," he points out eagerly. "For the charity tournament."

 

If he distracts Asami-sama with a good cause, he  might get out of this with his dignity intact.

 

“It’s okay Haru,” she answers. “I knew you’d find out that the paddles are good ones...the man at the sporting goods store explained that they’re light, accurate, and with very...ah... firm surfacing,” she turns to Asami, “Sir, this,” touching the top paddle with one finger, “is our name! I thought it was funny...not just as a movie reference but because, you know,  blazing ? Like,  ouch ? Like  hot ?” She stares into Asami’s face, loving the giddy rush of being so brazen and staring so fixedly at him when he could rip her to pieces if he chose to, but she  knows  he won’t, because he has wiped blood from her body and bandaged her and fed her and that makes her  famiglia.

 

Just then, a chime is heard from the hallway. Sami frowns, turning around at the familiar, yet out-of-place sound, thus she misses Asami’s eyes harden like flint, and his hand reach backward, palm open, gesturing to the boys to stay put.

 

“Oh, fuck! It’s just my tablet!” she pads into hall, reaches into her messenger bag and returns with an iPad. “So sorry,” She puts the tablet flat on the marble island, opening her email. Her brow furrows as she reads the text. She looks at them and points to the note, as if to say, “Come, see…”

 

“Oh,  basta! No, Tio.  Shit!” She’s apparently flustered, flapping one hand around and explaining, “Okay, so  this is my Jap-talian uncle in Canada, Mami’s brother, Hanko Trevi. My uncle Hanny...he’s writing in Italian and it basically says to me..that he hasn’t been able to reach me in two days -  yeah, DUH! \- and if I don’t answer he will consider me missing...” her puzzled frown deepens, “and he will call the  newspaper in Tokyo?  Because they are far more inquisitive than the police?” She looks up at her new friends, palms out, with a screwed-up expression that clearly indicates she thinks the message makes  no sense at all and her uncle is batshit crazy. Snorts. “Okay,  whatever.  I have to answer…” Her quick fingers start typing and she’s nodding. “I’m writing to him a little Italian song he used to sing to me, so he knows I’m okay, and that I’m studying with a friend and will call him from Mami’s tonight even if it’s late.” She’s pouting now, as young people will do when older relatives interfere.

 

There is another message, with a photo ringtone. Her face softens incredibly as she draws a gentle finger over the screen. She pushes the tablet over between Asami and Haruki, motioning for Aki to look, too. " This is Aidan," she says. "Oh, and a lot of snow!" The screen shows a photo of an auburn-haired young man, just barely coming into his prime. He has keen, thoughtful blue eyes behind wire reading glasses, and a rumpled, bohemian air about him. "He's my best friend. A teacher. I…" She trails off. "I thought it was strictly friendship but he… very recently he told me what he would do to - to me if I  belonged to him.  Oh , it was something... wonderful. " She flushes deeply, for the first time.

 

“Okay this is in English, and he’s saying:  “Sam, WHERE ARE YOU??? Please, please. please call us. I know you’ll be pissed, but I couldn’t reach Esperanza \- that’s Mami, she’s in Vietnam right now -  so I called Hanny. Sorry, don’t be mad. Just be okay.”

 

Asami nods, having read everything ahead of her translations anyway, satisfied that she will not lie to him, nor - importantly - to Haru, nor to Aki.

 

“These people just don’t know us!” she’s suddenly animated. “That nothing touches us! We are paddle ninjas!!”

 

Aki grabs one of the paddles and tosses Haru another, taking a very bad martial arts stance.

 

"Kiiiii-aaa!" He hollers triumphantly and proceeds to wield the thing like a sword. Haru has no choice but to defend himself, so that in moments they are dancing, thrusting, lunging and parrying all over the kitchen and out into the living room.

 

"I like the look of that young man," says Asami quietly to Sami. "I like even better the expression on your face when you speak of him. I hope you will not let your experience with...I'm sorry, what was his name again? Genji? Will not let it stop you from exploring what might be between you. Excuse me."

 

He steps over and disarms both budding ninjas, then twists a finger in the air in an imperious "turn around" gesture.  Winking at the girl, who is giggling in amusement and watching avidly, he smacks first Aki and then Haru on the ass as hard as he can. It doesn't have a very powerful effect through tough denim, but they yelp obligingly anyway.

 

"Perhaps before these delinquents force me to do them violence, we should watch a movie as planned?"

 

Nobody fails to notice that he keeps the paddles in his hand when they troop into the living room.

 

“Have a seat, Sami,” Haru says kindly, pointing out the comfortable couch across from the enormous flat screen tv. Aki has already gone to sort through the pile of DVDs, so Haru asks everyone if they want something to drink while they watch and goes about getting them quickly.

 

He’s happy when Asami sits down next to Sami and engages her in some conversation that seems to revolve around the paddles he’s holding. She laughs lightly, and it makes Haru smile. The tension she’d come in with seems to have almost completely disappeared, and he’s really glad of that. He can hardly believe someone would actually be so deliberately cruel to another person, especially someone like Sami.

 

He’s a little worried that her situation is still precarious, but he doesn’t want to spoil the light-hearted mood now. Before she leaves, he’ll make sure she’s got a safe place to go. Besides, if that Genji guy is stupid enough to keep hassling her, he’ll be in for a rude awakening. He looks over his shoulder and sees Asami’s penetrating gaze assessing Sami when she looks away to speak to Akihito about the movie.

 

Haru has no doubt at all about Asami-sama’s protective instincts. Even though he always tries to downplay his kindness, Haru has seen too much evidence of it for it to be denied. He smiles softly when Asami looks over, and then he brings to the drinks to the low table in front of the sofa.

 

“Okay, we’re all set!”

 

Haru curls up at Asami’s feet, and cheekily calls for Akihito to hurry up.

 

Aki seems to have settled on a movie, and without looking at the screen, grabs the remote off the rug and flicks on the TV to get ready.  Tokyo Weekend  is on. "Ai!" Sami yelps. "T-turn it up!" Aki does, and the entertainment program pans around a downtown gallery, featuring a number of egg-like, rounded sculptures. The scene cuts to a cherry blossom tree, and then to a black-haired man in  gi, performing  kata , while his serene, nasal voice-over talks about temporal forms, serenity, and art.

 

"That's him!" Sami sticks an arm out and points. " There you go ! Morita Genji! Fuck! Listen to that! What a - what a fraud!  Evil fucking thug …she lapses into a litany of global obscenities, punctuated with finger gestures describing things even Asami Ryuichi is loath to try. "There," she dishes out, satisfied. She crosses her arms smugly but her dark eyes are unsettled.

 

She turns to Asami then, and says primly, "And Asami-sama, I am very sorry for my language tonight."

 

A pause ensues. She looks at Aki, and then suddenly both of them burst into nervous giggles, and Aki reaches for another limeade from Haru's tray.

 

Aki flicks on the movie and dims the lamps, then lights a few candles. Sami toes Haru affectionately, where he sits curled at Asami's feet, his head resting on his lover's thigh.

 

Sami calms her swirling mind. The crazy hurt, the potential embarrassment to Mami, the luck of her escape and now this sweet, enticing, hilarious and warm evening. She settles in to enjoy the movie, knowing that no one can hurt her here.

 

Asami waits until the movie has started and rises silently in the darkness, tapping Haru gently on the shoulder so he’ll sit up a little. He meets the boy’s questioning look and then tilts his head almost imperceptibly towards Sami.

 

“I’ll be right back,” he murmurs when Aki and Sami notice him. “No, don’t pause it, I won’t be long, and I’ve seen it before. Nature calls, nothing important.”

 

Haru’s eyes, deep indigo in the shadows, watch him go, unblinking. He’s reasonably sure that Haru knows he doesn’t need the restroom, and what’s more, doesn’t mind. He’s not in the mood for explanations at the moment, every cell of his being clamors for  action.  He strides to his bedroom and draws out his cell phone.

 

“Kei,” he says curtly, “I have an assignment. Make it your only priority. Tonight. I want everything you can find on a sculptor by the name of Morita Genji….yes, I’m aware we have one of his pieces on display at Tojicorp. I’ll need you to rectify that as well…..let’s say midnight? Thank you. I can always count on you.”

 

He flushes the toilet, because Akihito is prone to being suspicious of his baser nature, and returns to the living room, giving Haru’s shoulder a quick squeeze when the boy leans back against his thigh.

 

Akihito has chosen Blazing Saddles, which is entirely unsurprising under the circumstances. He doesn’t pay much attention to the movie, watching Sami covertly. She seems to be all right, and enjoying herself, but the damage done by people such as Genji is often insidious and subtle, and can raise an ugly head of remembered pain for years to come. Sami already questions whether there’s something wrong with her for wanting what she wants, and the disapproval and abuse of her first Dominant could set her back for years. He hopes not. She’s such a bright, lively thing, and he intends to contact some of her professors at the University to get a look at her work. If she’s any good at all, he’ll see if she’d consider letting him purchase a few pieces. He senses that the loss of her painting hurts her more than anything else the raging bastard did to her. He imagines how Aki would feel if one of his photographs were an only copy and someone were to destroy it. It would kill a tiny piece of his soul. He’ll give her back as much of that piece as he can, even though it won’t undo the loss.

 

He’s distracted from studying her by a sudden faceful of popcorn. Akihito hoots and yells, “Gotchya!” while Sami laughs, looking both scandalized and extremely interested at the same time.

 

He leans down and puts his lips very close to Haru’s ear.

 

“I absolve you of your promise to behave,” he breathes and points one of the ping pong paddles warningly at Aki with an utterly unconvincing look of reproach. What she needs, he thinks, more than anything, is to see the light-hearted, uplifting, joyful side of the life they’ve chosen. He doesn’t want to embarrass Haru, but he hopes the boy will be able to participate, since Sami seems to look up to him so much.

 

A wide grin immediately spreads over Haru’s face. His blood is already humming because he knows Asami-sama did  something to help Sami when he left the room. He doesn’t know what yet, but he trusts completely that he’ll make things okay. The light-hearted feeling bubbles over when he fishes an ice cube from his drink, sucking it clean before he nails Akihito with it. His aim is perfect because he waits until Akihito is hunched over laughing, and it goes straight down the neck of his shirt.

 

Akihito yelps, and Haru chortles in triumph. “That’s for the carrot, Takaba!”

 

He grabs Asami’s hand and pulls the paddle in front of his face as Akihito threatens to retaliate.

 

“Save yourself, Sami!” he cries dramatically. “This might get ugly!”

 

These boys , chuckles Sami to herself,  don't know anything about projectiles! Thus, it is actually her that subtly picks a handful of grapes off of the fruit tray on the low table and slips them to Haru. Now  these suckers will bounce and fly!

 

Aki yelps when he gets hit, causing Gomi to launch himself out of his bed, yapping and menacing anyone who will listen.

 

A grape flies behind Sami and she whips her head around, shrieking in surprise when a svelte, dark shape appears on the back of the couch. "Oh, whoa!!" she laughs delightedly. "A kitty! Stop! S-stop, don't hit the kitty! Don't h…!" A grape pings off her temple and the cat takes a swipe at it.

 

Aki, although at a positional disadvantage, sprawled out on the carpet, throws quite a bit harder than Haru. He fires back unbroken grapes, one particularly hard specimen striking Asami's antique gong, which sounds off loudly.

 

"Gooonnnggg!" shrieks Sami.

 

Aki sits on the floor, panting, legs splayed and eyes bright, looking at Asami.

 

Haru snickers at him and Akihito shift his gaze, mischief in his eyes.

 

“This is YOUR fault,” he announces theatrically, climbing a little unsteadily to his feet. Haru wants to know how he came to THAT conclusion.

 

“Because,” says Aki with all the dignity he can muster (this isn’t a very great deal when a smallish bundle of fluff is trying to sniff every inch of his clothing in search of hidden grapes), “it was YOUR idea to hide those….THINGS in the first place!”

 

“Why does me hiding ping pong gear force you to act like a rotten little brat?” asks Haru sweetly.

 

“Ohh, you are DONE,” cries Aki gleefully and tackles Haru flat. Haru yelps in outrage, although Aki does notice he pauses for a beat to glance up at Asami.

 

Asami’s perfectly sculpted mouth twitches up at one corner. His golden eyes are sparkling. He nods at Haru. Such a good boy. In the throes of being flattened by his older and ever so slightly meaner lover, he still checks with Asami to be ABSOLUTELY sure it’s okay to fight back. He’s a treasure, that one. The kind of submissive he’d be breathtakingly proud to have on his arm at the most exclusive fetish club in the world, even untrained. Still, his sweet little new pet is unsure of himself in so many ways. It is this very self-doubt that worries him for Sami, for Haru’s rejection at the hands of his first (and only, before Aki and Asami) boyfriend is the cause of his insecurities for the most part. Part of him is still waiting for Aki and Asami to inform him it’s all been a mistake, or an elaborate prank.  Part of him is afraid he’ll make Asami angry and will be dismissed. Asami hopes that worry isn’t the only reason Haru’s going along with this entire scene. If Sami weren’t here, he’d have no doubt that Haru is wholeheartedly into it. But Haru would far prefer to please Asami than exasperate him, and Asami hopes the upcoming scenario won’t distress or embarrass Haru’s tender sensibilities. He’s fairly certain helping Sami is foremost in Haru’s mind, just as it is Akihito’s, because both boys are empathetic souls, and don’t like seeing her in pain. Still, his boys are ever his priority, no matter how sorry for her he feels, and outraged on her behalf.

 

“Use your safeword if it grows too difficult for you,” he murmurs, then grins. “But for goodness’ sake boy, are you going to just lie there and let him pin you like that?”

 

That’s all Haru needed to hear. His eyes flicker mischievously at Asami-sama. It’s payback time for one Takaba Akihito.

 

Haru immediately starts to thrash, trying to break out of Akihito’s hold, but Aki sinks all his weight to press Haru’s wrists to the floor. His smug grin taunts Haru, and he jerks his hips up violently to try and toss Akihito off. 

 

When Akihito manages to ride it out, laughing down at him with wicked eyes, Haru decides to change strategies. His face crumples into the very picture of pain, and Akihito immediately relaxes his grip.  His own expression fills with instant apology.

 

“Oh, shit. Are you oka--“ Akihito yelps as Haru shoves violently and manages to roll them over.  He straddles Akihito and pins his arms with his knees.

 

“I’m great, thanks for asking.” His fingers slide along Aki’s ribs, searching for all his most ticklish places. Now it’s Akihito thrashing beneath him and begging for mercy.

 

Haru flicks his hair from his eyes and grins at Sami. “They always underestimate the quiet ones.”

 

Sami grins and fishes a crisp Canadian five-dollar bill out of her wallet, smooths it and places it carefully on the coffee table, treating it as though it's a thick stack of bills she's wagering at an exclusive baccarat table. Her eyes are bright and reminiscent. 

 

"Asami-sama," she tells him although she knows there is no need, "this wager is about 460 yen. A very substantial sum, I'm sure you will agree. Do you accept this wager? Who do you think will submit first? Or perhaps you want to bet on something else?"

 

Asami gazes at her thoughtfully, temporarily ignoring the two miscreants on the floor, though his peripheral vision and reflexes are good enough that he’s able to lift his feet for them to roll under them without crashing into him. His mouth curves in a slow smile.

 

“Akihito has been training with Suoh and Kirishima longer than Haru, but Haru’s a quicker study. If it were just skill, Aki would have the edge. However, Haru’s is a much better strategic mind, and he thinks better under pressure. He also knows Aki’s a little better at defending himself, and that’s to Haru’s advantage because he KNOWS Akihito won’t hurt him. I predict that Haru will win, but that Akihito won’t surrender. They’ll end up at an impasse and I shall have to step in and stop them. You may choose a different outcome, but I want different stakes. If you win, I’ll double the money you’ve put on the table. If I win...I want a painting. I have some blank wall space in my accounting firm and I want to hang it in the reception area.”

 

“A...painting?” Sami smiles a delightful, crooked smile as one does when asked to do something one loves, but for politeness’ sake, must demur. “Well...maybe if I show you some sketches...and ONLY if it really, really appeals to you. I’m still learning, after all...But um, yeah...I’d like to change up the bet.” She looks down. Her arms are beet red. God, if her  arms are this red, what does her  face  look like? She twists her body so her face is to the back of the couch, her lips by Asami’s ear. “I….” she whispers, swallows. “I  know you can make them cry,” her face is boiling hot and she forces herself to say it, “C-cry not like,  bad crying...but you know, like….like sweet crying because they’re sweet baby boys and so bad...but I bet...oh - oh sorry...”

 

“Yes?” the soft, rich voice says next to her cheek.

 

“Oh...I bet you can’t make each of them….. say sorry !” she rushes on, “If you win, I’ll paint whatever you want. If-if I win...I get to come back here again!”

 

She finishes, turns forward again, hiding her face in both her hands delightfully.

 

“Don’t be absurd,” says Asami lightly. “You’re coming back regardless. That’s a terrible wager. If you win, I BUY the painting, and if I win, you give it to me. Ah ah. Don’t argue.” He turns his attention back to the scuffle on the floor. “Haru-kun,” he says, raising his voice so they’ll hear him over their grunts and yelps and insulting one another, “be a good boy and win.”

 

He sits back in his chair and relaxes to enjoy the show, idly running his thumb over the edge of the ping pong paddle.

 

Haru casts a wild-eyed look at Asami.  Win?! That's easy for  him to say.

 

Akihito has one leg wrapped around his hips, and Haru is half-pinned onto his side, one arm trapped beneath Aki's. He's wriggling like a fish, so Akihito can't do more than maintain his current hold, but Haru can't get any leverage either. A stalemate seems the best he can offer, but Asami-sama expects him to  win ?

 

Okay , Haru thinks.  It's like Suoh-san said. If you can't win in a straight fight, then make it a crooked one. Kirishima had agreed.

 

"Fighting dirty has a long and, er..." Kirishima's lips had twitched, "...slightly less than honorable tradition, but effective nevertheless."

 

All's fair in love and war and all that. Besides, he can't let Asami-sama down. Instead of pushing Akihito away, he slides one leg between his spread legs and rubs slowly but firmly against Akihito's crotch. At the same time he tangles his fingers in Aki's messy mop of hair and tugs slightly to expose his neck.

 

A biting kiss grazes the arched flesh, and then his lips slide up the curve of Akihito's jaw until he's licking into Akihito's mouth, which has gone slack in surprise. Akihito groans, but Haru can feel him beginning to tense again.

 

He couldn't expect him to fall for another sneaky maneuver so soon, after all, but he's gained enough to time at least to roll him to his back. Haru is up and over him, and his hand slides down to Akihito's groin, where he can feel that their contact has sparked at least a little interest down there. He grins, and his hand curls around Akihito's balls and squeezes not too hard but firmly enough that the threat is real when Akihito starts to struggle.

 

"Ah--ah--ah--" he says chidingly. "Be still if you want to be able to ride your scooter comfortably this week." Then he grins over at Asami, ignoring Akihito’s outraged and mildly panicky hisses.  "So who wants to do the count down until I win?"

 

“Well I am the guest referee,” Sami snickers, her eyes wide as saucers. She’s glimpsed their passion, just a flicker - something bright and sharp. She scrambles onto the floor, and counts down, slapping her palm against the Persian wool rug three times: “One! Two!...” she pauses and Haru does something that makes Aki squeak, “Three!” She grabs Haru by the wrist that isn’t occupied, and raises his arm, “Victory!” She looks around at the chaos. “Fuck, look at the state of this place!”

 

“I quite agree,” says Asami mildly, eyeing his disheveled pets sprawled on the floor at his feet. They look quite unrepentant. “Let’s discuss tonight’s series of events, shall we? We have Haruki hiding things from me in hopes of deceiving me into not using them for purposes other than their intended one, feeding Gomi table scraps with his hands while AT the table, putting ice down Akihito’s shirt and making an enormous mess of my living room. Akihito has been disrespectful, had entirely too much to drink, thrown food while we were trying to enjoy a nice meal together, hit me in the face with popcorn, and been the instigator of the wrecking of my living room. I wonder….what do the two of you have to say for yourselves?” He winks at Sami as he recites their sins, reasonably certain she knows he’s not actually angry.

 

“Um...we’re sorry?” suggests Aki, sitting up on his heels and folding his hands in his lap to look small and harmless and giving Asami big puppy eyes. “We won’t do it again? We’ll clean it all up? Er...oh, how about….Haru started all of it so you should totally spank him really REALLY hard and I’ll hold Sami’s hand so she won’t be scared or upset!” He beams triumphantly at Asami and sticks his tongue out at Haru.

 

" Me? " Haru's jaw drops in indignation. "I was just...tidying up the kitchen when you think about it.  You were the one who did all the bad stuff!"

 

Haru smirks and fastidiously straightens his shirt. "Besides. I won, so that means  you get the really hard spanking, and  I get to hold Sami's hand."

 

Sami is giggling behind her hand, and that's all the reward Haru really needs. In fact, he feels so comfortable with her now that he thinks he might actually be really disappointed if Asami-sama  does let him off the hook.

 

He puts on his best angelic expression, though--the one that always worked on his parents--and looks to Asami for confirmation.

 

“Oh, I don’t think you’ll be holding her hand. But she can hold yours if she wants to. Keep you from trying to reach back and cover your cute little ass while we find out how effective these new sporting goods are at teaching naughty boys lessons. Not very, I suspect, so before we begin, why don’t you boys go and get your new paddles out of the bedroom. You were kind enough to tell Sami about them, so I think she should see them don’t you?”

 

They both start to protest, of course, but he raises one eyebrow and points towards the bedroom.

 

“ Now.  Or I’ll have you fetch the bath brush too. And boys? Take your time. I need a word with our guest.”

 

They obey, pouting enough to be adorable but not enough to get into more trouble. He turns to Sami, who is looking decidedly alarmed at his announcement.

 

“Samantha,” he says solemnly, “come here please.”

 

Her eyes are wide, a bit like a deer caught in bright headlights, but she obeys instantly. Oh, such potential in this one. He makes a mental note to investigate the friend in Canada too. Aidan.  He takes her hand and tugs her gently down right beside him on the couch. Not letting go, he smiles as kindly as he knows how. He’s never quite sure whether it’s reassuring or vaguely unsettling.

 

“Don’t be afraid, baby girl. I don’t want anything bad, and you haven’t done anything wrong. I want to make sure you’re okay with what’s about to happen. After what you’ve been through, you could be understandably gunshy about it. I’m not angry at Aki or Haru, you see that, don’t you?”

 

“Yes, Asami-sama,” she says a little breathlessly.

 

“We play games like this one quite frequently. They may complain and try to get out of it and even beg me to stop during the...ah...proceedings, but they won’t mean it. I don’t wish you to think me a heartless bastard when I ignore their pleas. You see, they have a thing called a safeword, and unfortunately I’m not at all confident your….last partner...informed you about them or what they mean. Perhaps you’ve read enough to know. If they truly want me to stop, or are damaged, or in distress, they have only to say that word and I will stop immediately. They know this. So you see, they can say anything else they like and I won’t stop, because unless they use that word, I’ll know they don’t actually mean it. What I’d like to do, since in all honesty the little scenario we’re about to play out is for you, is to give you a safeword as well. No, I’m not going to spank you. It is so that if what is happening upsets you, or triggers any bad feelings, you have only to remember to say one word, and we will stop what we’re doing. You’re our guest, and we want to help you, not make you feel bad. I assure you, there is NO need to feel sorry for my little brats! The word is red, as in a stop light. I wouldn’t consider it a safeword if you used it in a sentence to describe the state of their backsides, but on its own, it will let me know you need me to stop and find out what’s wrong. Will you promise me you’ll use it if you need to?”

 

Her breathing is rapid, shallow and a palpable frisson passes through her. "Yes. Red," she tries to say, but when her lips form the words, no sound comes out at all. "Red," this time she manages it.

 

Her eyes dart, but it's her own jumbled thoughts that she's accessing…God, how did fate manage to blow her to Asami Ryuichi's door, and allow this family to unlock her? Here, nobody smashes anything, there are no punishing silences, no ground waiting to swallow her up. It's well, just the opposite. 

 

"What you do to your  chillos …your lovers…gives them pleasure. And-and it's always okay for them? Like, they have a way to defy you a little, and then you handle them roughly and show them that you're the boss, and when they feel you overpower them and sting their flesh….it's arousing for them, maybe just to play and then maybe other times…way more." 

 

Asami nods patiently.

 

She looks bravely into his golden eyes. "I want that. I-I don't think I'll ever be whole until it's like that for me too…please. Please teach me this…if you think you can show it without…I don't want to lose you guys over this. Not when I just got you!" 

 

Haru and Akihito are shamelessly listening around the corner and down the hall. They've already got their paddles in hand, and they share a look of complete accord when Sami expresses both her needs and her fears to Asami.

 

Whatever nerves Haru has about Asami spanking him front of someone else are completely subsumed when he hears her trembling voice. He knows how exposed she must feel, how hungry for knowledge and validation and acceptance, struggling with that longing inside that never goes away...

 

He hopes this man she told them about, this teacher, comes through for her. But if he doesn't,  we'll be there, Haru promises himself.

 

"Are you ready for this?" he whispers to Aki.

 

“I,” says Aki loftily, draping his arm over Haru’s shoulders, “am ready for anything! Also...I am so buzzed. Haru?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“You smell really good. Makes me wanna bite you. Even if you’re a cheater. Grabbin’ a guy’s dick. Pft. Oh look. It’s still hard. I like Sami, Haru. Her asshole’s a boyfriend. Um. Boyfriend’s an asshole.” He snickers at himself. “But really...I hope she’ll be okay. Do you think she will? I think we need to make sure she will. You can keep an eye on her at school can’t you? Cause I don’t think she should see him again, even if he comes crawling back to tell her he’s sorry an’ shit. Guys who do that...what he did...they don’t change, and they’re never actually sorry. Y’know, Asami’s a bastard...but he’s never THAT kinda bastard. I guess we’re pretty lucky, huh?”

 

He sighs and looks down at the paddle in his hand.

 

“I sure was hoping it’d just be the ping pong paddles. What do you think, do we give her a show and be….what’s he call me sometimes...wretch, that’s the one, and like holler and promise to be good and beg him to stop? Or do we...just let her see how fuckin’ good it is. Damn it.” He looks reprovingly at his crotch. “Still hard. This is gonna make me crazy.”

 

Haru snorts softly. "I don't think you have to worry about a 'giving' her a show. You're going to be singing Asami-sama's tune whether you want to or not." He looks at his own sturdy paddle and winces. "We both are. Anyway, I think we should just go with the flow. Be real. Which, yeah, for you means a lot of begging and crying and tenting your pretty little camo briefs."

 

Haru dances a few steps away and laughs into his hand as Aki swipes at him.

 

"But I promise you that I'll grab  him by the balls if that asshole dares show his face around Sami at school.”

 

Haru cocks his head and nods after a moment. It sounds like they’re done talking in the living room. He takes a deep breath and walks around the corner with Akihito right next to him. Asami-sama and Sami are sitting on the couch waiting, and Haru feels a blush sweep over his face, but he walks up to Asami and extends the paddle to him with both hands.

 

“Everything, all right, Sami?” he can’t help asking when he sees her nervous but eager expression.

 

Sami's knows that a blush stains her cheeks. She feels as though her skin is inside out. She couldn't feel more naked if Asami-sama had run his hands up her legs, his wrists catching her dress and drawing it over her head.

 

She reaches out for Haru's hand, touching it and looking up at him. "Friends first, right?" and then, unsure of what else to tell the sweet, willowy, creamy-skinned boy, she touches her cheek to his hand, rises, and tiptoes to the couch opposite Asami, where she curls up, pulling an ornate cushion into her arms and holding it against her body, scabby little knees peeking out from under her hemline, eyes wide and patient.

 

Asami winks at Sami and then stands up to loom over his boys a little. He’s not sure he’s ever been more charmed by them than he is at this moment. When he considers how Akihito has struggled to come to terms with his desires, and how Haru has been made to believe that he was somehow lacking...that they are giving this girl they barely know this sort of a gift is an extraordinary one. Not that either of them is going to hate what he’s going to do to them, not one bit, but there’s definitely an embarrassment factor. 

 

They stand before him, shifting nervously from one foot to the other, peeking shyly from under their thick eyelashes, smiling hopefully at him. Gods. They’re so fucking cute he can hardly believe they’re real sometimes. He puts his hands on his hips and clears his throat meaningfully. They look up at him, waiting.

 

“Akihito, pull the loveseat ottoman into the middle of the rug, there in front of the sofa, after Haru moves the coffee table.”

 

They leap to obey him with alacrity, and the rearrangement of furniture is managed in seconds. The ottoman is a thickly padded leather affair that matches the furniture. It’s top can be lifted up and things stored inside it. It is four feet long by three feet wide, squashy and comfortable.

 

“Get on your knees, side by side, and bend over the ottoman,” he says sternly. Haru shivers a little. It’s not fear though. Very far from it. 

 

“I’m sorry I was bad, Asami,” says Aki in his best see-what-a-good-boy-I-am voice, which doesn’t fool Asami at all. 

 

“Mm. You’re going to be sorrier in a few minutes.” He jerks his head towards the ottoman and they get on their knees; Haru gracefully and Aki with a thud that makes Asami wince a little in sympathy for the bruises he may have tomorrow. They bend over, and the height of the ottoman is such that their upper bodies can lie across it comfortably. “All right, pants down. Yes, Akihito, underwear too. Have you EVER known me to spank you over ANY article of clothing?”

“There’s a first time for everything?” says Aki hopefully, with a goofy grin. Sami giggles.

 

“Nice try,” he says drily. They don’t argue really. They’ve essentially volunteered for this. The sight of them wriggling a little to unfasten and unzip their jeans and push them over their outthrust backsides. He sits down on the sofa behind them and enjoys the view. Normally, of course, he’d have had them pull their pants down before kneeling, but he’s not sure they’re anxious for their new friend to get that good a look at their privates. He can’t resist the urge to reach out and stroke his hands over the pert curves of their bare bottoms. They both sigh a little and push back into his hands. He looks up at Sami, who is fascinated.

 

“Feel free to move around the room as you like,” he says with a smirk. “I can promise you, you’ll enjoy the view from every angle.”

 

Haru groans a little and his ears are quite red at the thought of this. Asami really believes the boy would strip naked in front of the Prime Minister if Asami asked it of him, but he doesn’t have any personal desire to display himself to others. 

 

He makes a minor adjustment in the positioning of the ottoman, pulling it back a bit towards the sofa, so that he can reach both of them while sitting down. He picks up a ping pong paddle and spins it deftly in his hand.

 

“Perhaps after tonight, we can take these somewhere and practice your actual ping pong skills,” he muses, “since you’re apparently becoming a competition team.” He shakes his head again in amusement at the words, “Blazing Paddles” on the back, then, with another wink at Sami, brings it down on Akihito’s ass. Hard. It’s quite lightweight, and though rubber imparts a sting, the padding also muffles its impact to a degree. He’s used this sort of paddle before. They’re only satisfying in the long term to very light players, because he could literally hit Aki and Haru as hard as he can with it and probably not make them cry. The paddle would break then anyway. Aki gasps though, and squirms. He spanks Haru next, and is met with a soft, needy whine of pleasure. Chuckling, he proceeds to pepper their backsides with the little paddle as hard and fast as he comfortably can without risking breaking it. The paddle is, after all, a gift, and this isn’t its intended purpose. 

 

“Asami,” whimpers Aki. “Ohh.”

 

“What is it, naughty boy?” he asks,  pausing for a moment.

 

“Oh. Hng. It...it’s….just don’t stop!”

 

Laughing, he spanks them more, and more, and in another minute they’ve squirmed a little so that their upper bodies lean into each other and Aki kisses Haru, an activity of which Haru apparently heartily approves, if the low moan Aki swallows from his lips in any indication.

 

After ten minutes or so, their backsides are bright pink and quite warm, but not bruised or blistered in the slightest, and they’re rolling their hips wantonly against the soft leather of their improvised spanking bench.

 

“If you come on that piece of furniture, you’re cleaning it off with your tongues,” he comments. They stop moving. He looks over at Sami and sighs in mock disgust.

 

“As you can see,” he says, “this is clearly not having the desired effect of teaching them any kind of a lesson, as the naughty little perverts are getting off on it. It may be time to step this up a notch.”

 

Akihito whimpers.

 

Sami doesn’t realize she’s stopped breathing, until she goes to inhale and it’s just a shudder. When Asami had invited her to move around the room, she’d immediately yelped “N-no, it’s okay!” as this idea caused a plummet in her belly at the thought of - what’s that word - of  objectifying  her friends, who are her peers but at this moment are also Asami’s naughty little boys, AND are joined heatedly, tongues twining, slender backs arching as they wriggle their bottoms to get more spanks.

 

As an artist, she misses nothing; the impossible, baby-pink velvet of Haru’s tongue lapping into Aki’s mouth; the way their sweet bodies hitch forward every time Asami strikes them. Her hand flies out toward them, then she retracts it, fingers splayed against her own chest. A thick heat pools in her belly, making her squirm and fidget.

 

It's Asami's words that cause Haru to squirm with abject embarrassment. He tucks his face into the vee his forearms make on the surface of the ottoman and almost welcomes the moment when he'll feel the crack of a serious paddle because at least  then he won't be able to think about how he's voluntarily bent over in the middle of the living room while his new friend watches. He won't be able to think about how red his bared bottom is, or how hot being spanked by Asami-sama makes him, or how much he adores being called Asami-sama's naughty little boy.

 

When the pain sinks into him deep, and he's on the verge of uncontrollable tears, he'll only be able to think about the cracking, burning heat turning his backside raw.

 

But Sami makes some small sound from her little corner of the sofa, and Haru peeks up through his hair to see if she's appalled by the spectacle. Asami chooses just that moment to land a stinging smack, and Haru's eyes flutter and his mouth goes slack. A tiny moan escapes him. Oh, Sami's expression is far from aghast. No, it's a picture of avid fascination, and Haru has to close his eyes, his fingers curling into the plush top of the ottoman.

 

Who is he kidding? He's totally going to think about  all those things no matter what. Haru shudders, but his lower back arches more, lifting his rounded bottom to Asami's ministrations.

 

He sets the paddle down on the sofa and reaches to take up the much sturdier one with Akihito’s name engraved into its surface, but they’re too compelling not to touch. Besides, who is going to tell him he can’t? His broad palms cup warm, quivering flesh, fingers curling inwards, parting reddened cheeks ever so slightly. They both shiver and whimper at his touch, eager little noises that go straight to his cock. As if they’ve choreographed it, they arch their backs and press back into his touch, whining for more. Aki shifts and opens his legs farther. Haru’s are already spread as wide as he can get them and still lie across the top of the ottoman. Such a good boy. How it stirs his blood that Haru instinctively opens himself as widely as he can for his Master’s use, without ever having been taught to do so. He traces gentle fingers over their warm backsides, tickling between their cheeks just a little, dipping down between their thighs to brush a whisper of a caress across their testicles. 

 

“Sami,” he says softly, because she is so engrossed that he wonders if he speaks too loudly, will it startle her into bolting? She’s certainly not afraid anymore, but the very sight of her seems to require that he treat her as he would a small, wounded, helpless thing. She lifts her eyes to his, and he smiles at the wonder in them. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you by telling you that you could move, but I think you might find the view from this side as rewarding as the looks on their pretty faces...just in a different way. Your choice, of course. I’m going to really paddle them now.” He lifts the “Akihito” paddle to show it to her. “This one is red maple, Haru’s is white oak. It would annoy me to have to put one down and pick up the other on every stroke, so I’m going to paddle both of them with Aki’s first, then give them both a taste of Haru’s.” The paddles are similar, but one is an oval while the other is rectangular. One has half a dozen holes drilled through it in a circle, while the other has none. “These will sting a very great deal more than the ping pong paddle did. It’s possible they will cry. That doesn’t mean they’re being harmed or abused. Do you understand?”

 

“Yeah,” says Akihito, his voice a little hoarse with his arousal. “Haru feels all owned and stuff when Asami breaks him down, and I...I just sort of get off on it. It feels...good. After. You get rid of any of the shit you’ve been carryin’ around until….until he takes you there, you know? And…” He blushes hotly, almost looking appalled at his own honesty, but then, alcohol always has loosened Aki’s tongue considerably. “I come harder, when he’s made me cry first,” he admits softly. Haru takes his hand and squeezes gently. They smile at each other. It is a smile they reserve only for each other, and he never tires of seeing it. It is sweet and shy and tender, not tangled with lust the way they are when they look at him. Not that he dislikes the way they look at him. Far from it. If his ego wasn’t already bigger than the entire island, it would have been made so by the helpless, captivated, needful way they look at him. But he is secure enough in his hold on them to be hopelessly enamored of the pure, simple sweetness with which they smile at one another.

 

“Are you ready?” he asks them softly. They peer over their shoulders at him a little nervously, but lustfully as well.

 

“I...I...I guess,” whimpers Aki.

 

“Yes, Asami-sama, I’m ready,” breathes Haru. 

 

“My good boys,” he murmurs. He pauses to see if Sami is going to take him up on the change of venue, then taps the red maple paddle against both little red backsides gently once. They both suck in a shuddering breath. He brings the paddle down in a solid, heavy SMACK against first Haru’s and then Aki’s waiting bottom.

 

“Ohhhhh,” whimpers Akihito. He squirms madly, trying his best to wiggle away the hot sting of the heavier paddle’s bite. “It hurts,” he says in a small voice. And oh, it does, but his cock swells even more, and the pleased growl Asami hums from behind them is one of the hottest sounds he’s ever heard.

 

“I don’t think you have any idea how hard I’m going to fuck you later,” he purrs softly, not singling out either of them, because he’s damn well going to leave both of them mindless by the end of tonight.

 

Sami's eyes have gone huge and liquid. She takes in what Asami says, quick little nods, lips parted. And yet, when the maple paddle cracks against Aki's flesh, she herself jolts and cries out in empathy,  "Ow! Papi!" the title is not exclusively paternal; it has lots of uses, and one of them is deferential and submissive. 

 

Haru is transformed. Normally shy, precise and economical of movement, the sweet creature before her arches with a wanton delicacy into the pain, face soft with rapture. Aki writhes and seems to both want it and fight it, sock feet drumming against the floor, alternately biting his lip and pleading with Asami to stop…and to never stop.

 

She raises her head to look at Asami-sama. He has rolled up his sleeves and loosened his tie for this work. His crow-black hair has fallen into his eyes, and those eyes glow with a possessive fire. His mouth is quirked and calm, but….oh, it lifts at one corner, like a predator, scenting the boys' arousal like blood. 

 

As much as she has her thighs pressed together, they begin to tremble, as does her belly and her bottom and she's going to come. Unless…"Damn, damn!" she slides off the couch onto her knees, and the knife pain as her bruised limbs hit the carpet pulls her back.  No one knows …she tells herself… it's not...not about what I feel, just what I do and say. And as much as she has Asami's permission to watch the paddling, it's not his blessing she needs. She sneaks her dark head onto the ottoman, so near that their feathery bangs brush her face. "Please," she whispers, "is it okay if I ...watch him do it to you? 

 

For a moment, Haru's eyes go wide and startled as he links Sami's plea with Asami-sama's last words. His heart thuds heavily in his chest, and he stares at her, totally at a loss for words. And then, in any instant of pure understanding, he realizes what she means...what she needs. A blinding smile spreads over his face, a mix of bliss and suffering and tender compassion because he knows what it's like to witness something so intense and intimate. He knows how shattering it is to want to the same thing for oneself so deeply. How thrilling it is to see the possibilities.

 

"Yes," he says hoarsely. "It's okay. It's  mor e than okay. Because it's you, and you understand." He reaches out and grabs her hand, gripping it tightly as the blows keep raining down on his burning cheeks.

 

He can feel the pressure behind his eyes, the warning of imminent tears much sooner than usual. He blinks back the first wet drops, but a tight, choked sob catches in throat when Asami catches him right on the underside of his bottom.

 

"Oh, Asami-sama...I...don't..."

 

He doesn't know what he's trying to say. He doesn't know why he's going to cry. He doesn't know why he needs this so much, or why he suddenly feels so vulnerable. He looks at Akihito through his spiked, wet eyelashes and watches the flicker of pleasure and pain that passes over his beloved face.

 

And how...? How did he get so lucky?

 

His tears fall faster now, silently, as he rocks under the cracking blows, and his fingers squeeze Sami's hand tightly.

 

Aki bites his lip and squeezes his eyes shut tightly. When Sami asks her breathless question, Asami pauses a few moments to give either of them a chance to answer. Of course he doesn’t mind. Of COURSE not, because there’s not one thing in Sami’s demeanor that is poking fun at them or will pull this out later to use against them. He’s touched (well, as much as he’s capable of while fighting back tears because FUCK the paddle stings) that she’s so considerate of their feelings as to ask.

 

“It’s okay with me too, Sami,” he manages to say in a raw voice that is thick with impending tears. Something passes between she and Haru, but he’s too consumed to be very aware of what it is, just that every step she takes with them seems to be bringing her closer to being okay again. He’d do a lot more than show his ass to someone as kind and compassionate as Sami.

 

The paddle cracks down again, and he cries out in pain. Oh, but it hurts.

 

“Ah...ah...Asami,” he whimpers, “p-please! Please it hurts! No more. Oh. Ohhh. Please, please, please! Oww. Ohfuh...fuck.” 

 

He clenches Haru’s hand tightly, gasping for breath and panting with the effort it takes not to just break down and  bawl. 

 

Asami’s not having any of THAT. He’s not normally goal-oriented when he’s playing with them for fun. This….what’s happening here IS for fun, but it’s important too. He feels strongly that Sami needs to see them cry, and then see that they’re okay afterwards. More than okay. He’s a little puzzled as to why Haru’s falling apart so quickly, but suspects it’s something to do with his tender heart and what he’s feeling for the sweet girl watching him tonight. He puts a little more force into the blows. The sound of the hard wood meeting soft skin is shattering, and the vibration of it in his arm is just right, and the sounds of their wet whimpers and frantic little cries are exquisite to him. Haru wails in pain at a particularly harsh blow, so he follows it quickly with another just like it to Akihito’s bottom. A few more like that and Aki lays his head on his arms and sobs softly. He still lifts his ass for the paddle, doesn’t try to get away, but his shoulders shake with his tears. Haru’s answering wail is so damn vulnerable he’d half like to drop the paddle and drag the boy into his arms and hold him tightly until he didn’t cry anymore. But not enough to actually stop him, not yet. 

 

He doesn’t spank them until they’re hysterical or even approaching it. He spanks them hard, but not brutally, and their surrender is sweet to his ears. There’s no bitterness to it, no guilt, just strong feelings and emotion. It hurts them, he knows it does, but he can also see the unflagging arousal between both their thighs.

 

He switches to the white oak paddle and relentlessly paddles them both a dozen more times. They keen and wail and sob their way through it, until he simply drops the paddle on the floor and kneels on the floor between them, his hands running softly up the gentle curve of their spines.

 

“Shh,” he says softly, petting them. “We’re all done now. Hush. Sweet boys. You’re so good for  me. Come on then,” he adds, and gets back up onto the couch, tugging them with him so that they end up half on his lap and half not, clinging tightly to him and dampening his shirt with their tears. 

 

He looks over at Sami, takes in her awed expression and unwraps an arm from around Haru to gesture to her, opening and closing his fingers in a “come here” gesture. She’s awkward and uncertain, hovering outside the jumble of their bodies, but she takes his hand when his smile turns stern and Akihito and Haru shift to make room for her in the pile without being asked. 

 

“So what do you think, little girl? Have we scared you away completely, or do you still think this is something you’d want?”

 

Sami insinuates herself into the languid, comforting press of their bodies. 

 

Even her agile imagination hadn't prepared her for the shivering, heady rush of seeing their exquisite, squirming behinds…she had crept up to Asami's shoulder and oh…never,  never had she anticipated that their smooth boy-flesh could be spanked to such a deep, angry red. “Oh, oh, God! I…” she’d stopped, hearing Asami growl low in his throat as he’d administered the final blows…She’d watched Aki's sweet, very round peach of an ass flatten as it yielded to the paddle's sting. Watched Haru's lithe back, hitch with sobs. And yet…they'd still offered their greedily-upturned, taut bottoms to him; offered him moans and sobs that sounded so base, so needy that when Asami had gentled them into his arms, murmuring soothingly as they'd whined and whimpered, she'd burst into tears.

 

And as she hears Asami-sama asks her if this is something she would still want, she turns and says against his neck, "It's not something I want Papi. It's something I  am. ”

 

"Yeah," Haru says softly. "That's it exactly. Pretty overwhelming, isn't it?"

 

Sami turns to him and hugs him tightly, and he holds her, running his hands down her back comfortingly just as Asami-sama always does to him. "But now you know you're not alone. Now you have us."

 

His eyes sting again, and his gaze rises over Sami's shoulder and locks with Asami's. An invisible fist seems to squeeze his heart. His throat tightens, but he doesn't think he could speak in any case.

 

His expressive eyes say it all at he looks at his two beautiful, generous lovers.

 

Asami leans back against the back of the sofa with a well-satisfied smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Haru is tucked under one of his arms and curled contentedly against his right side while Akihito cuddles both Haru AND Asami and is draped a little like a slug over Asami’s lap.Sami leans against his other side, his arm wrapped around her and holding her close while she cries. It tugs disconcertingly at his heart and he finds himself wanting to protect her. She’s not a girl prone to either hysterics or melodrama, so it is a short time before she’s studying Aki and Haru’s faces with curiosity and interest. He can’t help but think she’s searching their eyes from some shade of fear or sorrow. He relaxes, confident in his certainty that she will not.run shrieking from the condo to summon the police. 

 

“You guys are okay,” she whispers. It’s not a question. He suspects she’s saying it out loud because it makes it seem more real. 

 

“Mm,” says Aki softly.

 

“More than okay,” says Haru, raising his head off Asami’s shoulder to smile brilliantly at Sami. Asami might call his smile a little sleepy save for the hard shine of lust in his eyes. Both of his little boys are still aroused...by now, painfully so, after their spankings. He fully intends to take care of that for them….all in good time. 

 

They talk for a while, answering Sami’s questions, coming up with a few of their own. Neither of them mentions their...predicament. Though he doesn’t say so, it impresses him. He knows very well how aroused both of them are by what he’s done to them. That they set their own needs aside in recognition of Sami’s as the greater need makes him proud… And gives him the tiniest pang of guilt over what he plans to do to them.

 

Eventually, Sami is yawning, so he radios Suoh to ask him to bring the limo round to the front door.

 

“I’ll take you home,” he tells the girl. She, unsurprisingly, protests that she doesn’t want him to go to that kind of trouble and that she’s sure he’s needed here so much more! He places his fingertip on her lips, and is pleased when she subsides immediately. “Don’t worry, they’re going to get their reward for being good during their spankings.”

 

Aki and Haru squirm a little at this announcement and look eager. He grins at them with a decidedly wicked twinkle in his eye. As Sami gathers her things, he takes them to the bedroom.

 

“Strip,” he orders, and they begin to obey immediately. He opens the drawer in the big dresser and withdraws two thin strips of leather. Enough time has passed that their erections have begun to flag a bit, but a few minutes of deep, hungry kisses takes care of that. Their eyes widen in alarm when he swiftly and efficiently snaps a cock ring on both of them.

 

Aki groans.

 

“Asami,” he whines, “no fair! How long do we hafta wear them?”

 

“Here is what you’re going to do,” he says with a smirk. “While I am gone, you’re going to make each other ready for me, because when I get home...oh, you’re getting SUCH a hard fucking.”

 

“Yes, Asami-sama,” says Haru.

 

“Here’s the catch, my dirty little boys. You’re going to take the entire time I’m gone to make each other ready for me. You’re going to kiss and tease and touch, use your mouths and hands, and if you are not frantic by the time I return, you’ll both have another spanking and go to bed without being allowed to come. You’ll leave those cock rings on too, or the same result will apply. Do I make myself clear?”

 

“No  fair, ” whines Akihito, squirming in discomfort, although he’s already reaching for Haru as he does so. “You’re a real bastard, do you know that?”

 

Haru looks at Akihito as though he’s lost his mind, antagonizing Asami at a time like this.

 

“Mm,” agrees their lover heartlessly. “And just for that, Haruki gets to come first. Would you like to lodge any further complaints?”

 

“No, Asami-sama,” says Haru quickly, clapping his hand over Akihito’s mouth and glaring at him.

 

“Good.” Asami turns to leave the room, then pauses. “Well?” he says expectantly. “Get busy!”

  
  


The air at street level is cool and head-clearing as Asami escorts Sami through the richly-appointed lobby to where the limo waits to take them to Mami's building. She walk up to Suoh, staring up at the tall bodyguard, her face shining. "Hello, Suoh-san!" she chirps. And then, "Thank you!" when he opens the door.

 

Asami sits beside her, offering her a drink. She snuggles into the buttery soft leather. "Okay, THIS car is like, the same size as my kitchen in Toronto," she says. "I live above a Malaysian café there. Everything smells like peanut sauce. But I don't care. I like living by myself…normally…" she trails off. She looks at Asami. He has his eyes closed, head back against the seat's headrest. Lemony stripes of streetlight travel up his chiselled face, and vanish.

 

"So, uh, I really hate to ask, but…if I were to have a problem…."

 

"I will erase the problem." his voice is deep and finite.

 

"Well. Okay, then."

 

Esperanza Arroyo's apartment, which is shared by her daughter for certain school terms, is in a newer neighbourhood near the university. Asami's keen eyes take in everything as he walks Sami into the lobby. He sees nothing untoward. The small, cheerful apartment is equally quiet. He peers out the window, noting the two men that he has posted near the entrance.

 

He turns to her. “Sami-chan. I am greatly in Haru's debt for bringing you into our orbit. But now that he has, you have my assurance that you are safe.” He reaches into his coat pocket, pulling out a little red iPhone. “I'm afraid my spoiled boys have rather an over-abundance of electronics. This device isn't in use, so perhaps you'll give it a home?”

 

“Oh!” her smile charms him, “If you're sure…I'll pay you for it, of course..” he holds a finger to her lips. She quiets. He leaves the finger in place. “There is a number in this phone. It is stored under your safe-word. I want that number to be your first call if, for  any  reason, you need us. This phone also has a GPS function. If you do not respond and I am concerned, do I have your permission to come and find you?” The question is a redundant one, although she doesn't know it. He will come, whether she wants him to or not.

 

Sami stands on tiptoe and throws her arms around his neck, squeezing tight.

 

“And do you remember that safe-word?” Asami purrs.

 

"Oh yes," she breathes, "red."

 

Conscious of Asami's gaze as he lingers in the door for a moment, Haru turns to Aki as he turns to him. Fingers dig into hips, and their mouths meet, and then it's all tongues and whimpers, and sharp gasps when their bound cocks brush together.

 

He's vaguely aware when Asami disappears, and he groans into Akihito's mouth. "How far away do you think she lives?"

 

"Too far," Akihito says heatedly. "I'm gonna die before he gets back."

 

Haru's lips curve against Aki's. "Let's see if that's true."

 

He climbs onto the bed, his lithe body, sleek and graceful as he crawls to the center.

 

"Can I touch you, Aki? Please. I want to so bad."

 

He kneels up and makes a little beckoning motion as his head tilts to the side in a show of shy eroticism that makes Akihito's cock throb.

 

"Yeah...okay," he says breathlessly and he crawls over next to Haru. He can't help but cup Haru's face and steal another kiss. And Haru melts into it so beautifully that Akihito's fingers slide into his hair and tug, and Haru moans low in his throat.

 

And  shit , he really is going to die before Asami gets back. Akihito pulls back with a gasp, and Haru smiles slowly, his lips swollen and red, a heat in eyes that reveals his own deep arousal.

 

He pulls his full, lower lip between his teeth as his eyes travel down Akihito's body, and then another tiny smile blooms. His tongue slips out to wet his pink lips that part as he bends toward Akihito to take one of the silver rings on Akihito's chest into his mouth.

 

His tongue slips into the tiny loop and tugs, and he thrills to the whimper that slips from Akihito. The small, stiff peak of Akihito's nipple hardens more as he licks and teases the sensitive flesh until it stands out at perfect attention, the tiny ring not even touching anything but the flesh it pierces.

 

His fingers take the place of his mouth as he moves to the other nipple, lavishing attention there as well with his lips and teeth and tongue. Akihito hisses and curses softly, and threads his hands in Haru's hair.

 

His fingers clench involuntarily, but Haru doesn't mind. It shoots straight to his cock, and his hips roll against air while he continues to suck at Akihito's nipples until they're almost sore with   sensation.

 

Akihito groans as every touch to his sensitive nipples sends an aching heat to coil and twist in his belly.  Haru’s fingers are fine-boned and deft as they stroke and pluck and softly pinch his nipples. He tugs a little on the rings.  It’s almost too much to bear. He whines and gently tugs on Haru’s hair, pulling his face up so Aki can kiss him. Kissing Haru is on his list of his top twenty things to do. To be fair, kissing Asami is on there too, but every time Asami kisses him, it is a little like he’s going to be consumed, overwhelmed by his powerful lover’s dominant personality.  Kissing Haru never feels like any sort of conquest is going on.  It’s nothing but them, without ego or conflict or control struggle.The contrasts between his two partners actually serve to make him want each of them more. 

 

Wrapping his arms around Haru, he tumbles them over sideways so that for a few moments they are just a tangle of arms and legs  and aching arousal. He pins Haru to the bed and grins wickedly into his face.

 

“You cheated to pin me before with your dirty tactics, so now we’re gonna see how YOU like it!”

 

Then he slowly and teasingly lowers his head towards Haru’s cock and takes it in his mouth and sucks deeply, curling his tongue around the head. Blindly,  he reaches for the red jar and unscrews the lid while he sucks on Haru’s tongue and rocks his hips so that their erections  rub together up and down their lengths. He really REALLY likes the noises Haru makes when they’re in bed together or with Asami. His small, helpless cries and wanton soft moans and the way he gasps when Aki touches a particularly sensitive spot are all gorgeous and deeply stimulating. Aki loves the way Haru’s responses are always so open and honest. He could kiss him like this all day, but his aching cock needs a break for a couple of hours. He backs off and looks Haru over from head to toe. Haru blushes. Aki’s starting to understand what Asami sees in it.

 

“Will you turn over?” he asks softly. Wordlessly, Haru nods and rolls over onto his belly and lays there, waiting patiently. Aki rubs his fingertip across the creamy surface of the hand-crafted lube in the jar, then rubs it between his fingers to warm it a bit.  When his fingertip nudges Haru’s hole and then slips inside, both of them moan a little breathlessly. Aki really does feel bad when Haru is, after about fifteen minutes of long, careful fingering, a quivering mess.”I’m sorry,” he whispers, pressing a kiss to the back of Haru’s neck. “Gods...I KNOW it’s killing you. It’s killing ME and nobody’s even touching me right now!”

 

Haru looks back over his shoulder with a conniving look on his face that is only slightly diminished by the frustrated arousal drowning him with need.

 

“Let’s change that,” he says with a creditable smirk. His body bucks hard and Aki backs off a little, not comprehending until it is too late, what Haru’s about. Then the tables are turned and it’s Aki’s turn to whimper pitifully as Haru fingers him open, fucking himself on the cool, silky-smooth Egyptian cotton of Asami’s sheets. It is futile, of course, as no matter how overstimulated he becomes, he still cannot come. For a few fleeting seconds he considers taking off the cock ring, just for a few seconds, because that’s all it would take, he’d come almost instantly, he can tell, and then he’d have enough time to get it up again and be wearing the damned thing when Asami got home. Then he sighs. He’s not going to do it. Because for all that he complains about Asami being a bastard and an asshole, he’s really not. Not more than anyone else if he’s having a bad day, and far less than some. What he really is, is patient and generous and clever and amusing in the bedroom. Forceful and strict too, but not every time. So he’s not going to betray Asami’s wishes. Even though Haru’s fingers keep teasing his prostate and the friction on his dick is driving him crazy.

 

They’re both ready to cry by the time Asami gets home. His tiger’s eyes look them over, assessing, and then Asami smiles  and his eyes darken with approving arousal. 

 

“Have you obeyed me?” he purrs in a deep bass rumble, slowly taking off his clothes and moving closer to the bed.

 

“Yes, Asami-sama,” whimpers Haru,  looking up at him with pleading eyes.

 

“We did, we really did. Oh Asami...please, we’re gonna DIE,” cries Akihito, reduced to mindless begging in no time at all.       

 

They don’t stop for a very long time.            

  
  


The door opens with a rattle of locks and a jingle of keys. A band of golden light from the hallway widens and spreads across the floor. There is another second of darkness as the door is kicked shut, then an overhead light is snapped on. The apartment has an open floor plan with the door opening on the living room, an eating area to the right, separated from the kitchen by a long  breakfast bar. There’s a single hallway with an arched opening that leads to two bedrooms and a comfortable bathroom. The apartment is tastefully decorated, the only art on display is narcissistic in nature, displaying the signature of the apartment’s owner.

 

Morita Genji doesn’t notice anything amiss for several seconds. Idiot. He walks right past the inhabited chair pulled out beside his dining table and into the kitchen where he stows a bottle of wine in his refrigerator. The moment awareness sets in is obvious. His whole body goes rigid and he freezes in front of the fridge, standing there with the door open for several long moments. At last he turns to face the man sitting at his dinette. 

 

“Who the fuck are you?” he demands, going for aggression but coming across high-pitched and nervy. Asami leans back in the chair and smirks unpleasantly.

 

“How nice of you to acknowledge me. Honestly, is that any way to treat a guest?”

 

“A GUEST?” yells the artist, incensed. “I didn’t invite you here! Get the fuck out of my house! I’m calling the police!”

 

“Please do,” says Asami calmly, siding his own cell phone across the table towards the angry, frightened young man. “Use my phone. When they get here, I’ll be happy to inform them that I’m having trouble with a tenant and need their help with an eviction.”

 

“You’re crazy!” screams Genji. Asami’s facial expression goes blank.

 

“What you don’t want to do right now, Genji,” he says very softly, “is make me angrier than I already am. I assure you that I do indeed own this building, and that as of this morning, you no longer hold a valid lease.”

 

“Who the fuck do you think you are? Do you know who I AM?” shrieks the younger man, his face turning an unattractive shade of puce.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry. How rude of me. We’ve never met in person, but you may have heard of me. My name is Asami Ryuichi.”

 

It doesn’t matter how long he lives. There are few moments Asami loves more than the moment of realization on an adversary’s face when he can tell from their expression that they do indeed recognize his name. And have heard all the rumors. Genji’s face pales abruptly and he moves to slip his cell phone back into his pocket. It misses and falls to the kitchen floor with a clatter.

 

“I’ve come to return your piece one of my companies acquired from you a few months ago. I’m afraid there’s been a mistake and we won’t be exhibiting your work anymore, now or ever.”

 

The now-terrified artist finally looks at the floor in front of Asami’s chair and sees the tiny bits and pieces of the sculpture he’d sold to a finance company called Tojicorp recently. It had been a huge feather in his cap, one he’d bragged about to those in his circle often and loudly.

 

“If...if it wasn’t to your liking, I’d be happy to replace it with something else,” says Genji, smiling in a way intended to be ingratiating but which comes across only as slimy.

 

“You’re not listening. Tch. Your list just keeps getting longer, doesn’t it? Being rude to a house guest.. I mean, you didn’t even offer me a drink! Raising your voice to your betters. Not paying attention. You’ve been a naughty boy, Genji-kun.”

 

The whites of the other man’s eyes are showing around his dark irises, wide and panicky.

 

“I...I’m sorry?” he ventures in confusion. 

 

“Somehow I doubt that,” says Asami, looking at the fingernails on his left hand, then flicking away an invisible speck of lint on his shoulder. When he twists his body to do so, his jacket gaps open to reveal the Sig Sauer P220 in its shoulder holster riding on his side. “But you will be. You see, Genji….I don’t like bullies.”

 

Genji looks completely mystified for quite some time, which makes Asami even angrier. He has clearly not considered the sweet, innocent young art student worthy of remembering. Realization does finally dawn. His face colors again with anger and his slender, sculptor’s hands clench into fists.

 

“Why that little bitch! Mr. Asami, I am so sorry you’ve been exposed to the petty lies and manipulations of one talentless little gold digger. I assure you, between professionals and man to man, that nothing she said to you was true.”

 

“If you refer to Samantha Arroyo as a bitch again in my hearing, I will cut out your tongue and make you eat it..”

 

“I’ll kill her,” rages Genji. “She’s trying to ruin my reputation!”

 

“No,” says Asami calmly. “She thinks you’re brilliant and talented.  I  am going to ruin your reputation. Now take off your pants. You’ve been a bad boy, and bad boys must be punished.”

 

Geni’s face pales again in horror and he stand frozen in place. Asami sighs in annoyance and pulls his gun out of its holster. He sets it down on the small dinette table and runs a finger negligently along its accessory rail. With a muffled whimper of terror, Genji slowly removes his pants and stands in front of Asami with his hands cupped over his crotch.

 

“Oh, don’t look like a frightened maid on her wedding night,” snaps Asami in irritation. “I’m not going to rape you. I’m not going to touch you at all.  Come over here in front of me and get on your knees.” His voice is positively glacial. Genji blanches and looks at the bits of broken sculpture on the floor.

 

“But that will...will…”

 

“Shut your hole, you useless piece of shit,” snarls Asami. “Do it now, or I’ll hamstring you.” A knife joins the pistol on the table.

 

Trembling, Morita Genji slowly lowers himself to the floor, wincing in pain as his knees come into contact with the broken shards of his work. Asami watches him with a bored smile on his face.Tears spring into the sculptor’s eyes in mere moments. After a couple of minutes, blood seeps from the tiny cuts caused by the shards and is visible where his flesh is pressed to the sharp little pieces. He whimpers and opens his mouth to protest his mistreatment. Asami slowly picks up his pistol, and the artist subsides, lips trembling.

 

“Here is what’s going to happen,” says Asami conversationally. “When I’m satisfied you’ve been punished enough, I’ll leave you in peace and you need never hear from me again. You needn’t fear I’ll harm you or interfere any further in your pursuit of your career beyond making sure no one with whom I do business ever buys your work again. In return for my generosity, you will never speak of or to Sami Arroyo again as long as you live. You will not interfere with her life or her work in any way whatsoever. One thing you need to be sure of, if you’re sure of nothing else as long as you live. If you disobey me in this, I WILL know about it, and you will be visited again. You’ll be given one more chance to comply, after your hands have been broken. Do you doubt I can make this happen, Morita Genji?”

 

“No,” whimpers the younger man, tears overflowing to stream down his face.

 

“Good boy,” says Asami cheerfully. He stands up. “One more thing. If I ever hear of you punishing a sub by making them kneel on rice or barley or any other substance designed to damage their bodies, you’ll receive another visit for that too. The sculpture you’re kneeling on right now is mere plaster. Next time, it will be glass. I’m leaving now. You’ll stay there on your knees for thirty minutes, because I’m lenient. I hope I won’t see you again, Genji. But not half as much as you’d better hope YOU won’t see ME. Do we understand each other?”

  
“Yes. Sir,” gasps Genji as he tries to shift his weight to find a less painful spot on which to rest his weight. He hears a crunching noise and something drops to the floor beside him. It is his cell phone, which has been smashed. When he looks up, Asami Ryuichi has vanished from his apartment leaving no trace of ever having been there, save for a sheet of white paper on the table. It’s an eviction notice.


End file.
